If you want an iPhone 13 in the next few weeks, you’d probably better order it soon. And for some variations, it’s already too late to have it delivered before October.
And an analyst says the wait times indicate that Apple’s latest is selling better than its predecessor.
Limited supplies of iPhone 13 on launch date
The iPhone 13 went up for sale on Friday and the device will start reaching customers on September 24, despite some first-day problems. But many buyers will find themselves waiting longer if they haven’t ordered already.
Pre-order the base model 6.1-inch iPhone 13 from Apple.com on Monday and the delivery window is October 7 to October 12 — two weeks after the launch. Add additional storage and the delivery moves forward only a couple of days.
And pre-order for the iPhone 13 mini of any storage capacity and it arrives between Oct. 8 and Oct. 13. Again, a couple weeks after the launch.
But these wait times are short compared to Pro series delays. A base model 6.1-inch iPhone 13 Pro or larger Pro Max ordered on Monday won’t arrive until Oct. 19 at the earliest… and it could be Oct. 26. That’s at least 3.5 weeks after the launch.
Why wait?
Those are the the delivery dates for iOS handsets pre-ordered from Apple to be shipped. Many — but not all — iPhone 13 configurations can still be pre-ordered to be picked up at an Apple retail location on September 24.
A check of Apple Stores around the U.S. found the 6.1-inch iPhone 13 base model in a range of configurations available in many locations. The same is true for the iPhone 13 mini and 6.1-inch Pro. But an iPhone 13 Pro Max in any specific configuration is harder to find in a store. For example, while there are Pro Max units available Los Angeles Apple Stores, none of these have 1TB of storage.
Healthy demand for iPhone 13
Analyst Ming-Chi Kuo from TF International Securities believes these wait times show that the 2021 models are selling better than its predecessors. “iPhone 13 series pre-orders are higher than those for iPhone 12 series but in line with market expectations,” he wrote in a note to investors on Monday and seen by Cult of Mac.
Kuo is predicting a solid couple of years for sales. “We estimate iPhone shipments to increase by 5% YoY in 2020 and 16% YoY in 2021, respectively, benefiting from the 5G replacement demand and the US’s ban on Huawei, significantly outperforming the smartphone market that stands at -8% and 5%, respectively,” Kuo wrote in his note.
