We have all seen the TV footage of smartphone devotees queueing overnight outside Apple stores around the world in order to be the first to get their hands on the latest smartphone, tablet or other gadget. But these days, smartphones are something we all take for granted, and with Samsung and Sony’s offerings snapping ever closer at Apple’s heels, you might think a new iPhone would not generate the same excitement as it did, say, five years ago. The drama surrounding the release of the tenth anniversary iPhone X, however, gives the lie to this theory. Apple has reported record preorders for the latest handset, a fact that might yet blow up in the technology giant’s face if the rumours are true that there were only three million handsets available for launch weekend. To put that number into context, Apple shifted some 13 million units of the iPhone 6S over the first two days when it was launched in September 2015. Those who take a more pragmatic approach to smartphone purchasing also have a reason to be cheerful at the news. All those people rushing to buy the very latest handset will lead to a flood of good quality, second hand iPhone 7 handsets entering the market, and there will be no better time to pick up the bargain of the year in the run up to Christmas.
Sales off the charts
In the days leading up to the release, Apple proudly announced that preorders were “off the charts.” While this sounds like good news for any company, and certainly resulted in a surge in the company’s share price, it led to severe concerns that they might struggle to fulfil all those orders. Apple itself acknowledged that there were some problems in the supply chain that had resulted in a shortage of certain components, resulting in vague statements that they would “see what happens” and “potentially look to other sources.” The latest update appears to suggest that the problem, whatever it was, has been resolved and production is back on schedule. But will it result in a shortage of iPhone Xs on the shelves?
Six week wait
Industry analysts are predicting a total demand of some 50 million for the iPhone X, and delivery times in the US are currently standing at 5-6 weeks. This means that while buyers are slated to have their new iPhones in time for Christmas, things are starting to look decidedly tight. Six weeks is certainly a far longer wait than users have had to endure for any previous versions of the handset, but Apple maintains that this is purely down to it being the most popular iPhone ever and that it has nothing to do with the component supply issues that have already led to a two month delay in the iPhone X’s launch. One thing is for sure, if you want to get one for Christmas, you will need to get your order in now. The smartest smartphone money, however, has to be on making the most of the great second hand options that are now available.
