3 of 4 early iPhone X fans may get shut out
You’re going to need a whole lot of luck if you want to get your hands on an iPhone X when it comes out on Nov. 3.
Apple’s top tier smartphone will only have 2 million to 3 million handsets available worldwide when it hits store shelves next month, one Wall Street analyst forecast on Friday.
The iPhone X, which Apple has dubbed “the future of the smartphone,” has been dogged by rumors about production delays and issues for months, but the research report from the analyst was the first time someone has put into numbers just how dire the shortage will be upon launch.
While 3 million may sound like a lot of iPhones, it looks much smaller when you consider that Apple moved 13 million iPhone 6S units the first weekend that handset was available on the market.
If demand is the same for the iPhone X, 3 of every 4 shoppers for the latest Apple smartphone may go home empty-handed.
The production delays of the iPhone X stem mostly from the flexible printed circuit board for the gadget’s antenna system, according to KGI Securities analyst MingChi Kuo, whose report pinpointed the possible shortfall.
The silver lining, however, is that Kuo predicts production will ramp up greatly over the next month, and Apple will eventually be able to meet demand after a couple of months.
If you’re set on buying an iPhone X as soon as it’s available, be prepared to stay up late.
Your best bet will be pre-ordering, which goes live on the East Coast at 3 a.m. on Oct. 27.
If you aren’t able to snag a pre-order, you may need to buy a tent and take off work, since camping out in front of your nearest Apple Store will be your only hope.