Close
  • Latest News
  • Artificial Intelligence
  • Video
  • Big Data and Analytics
  • Cloud
  • Networking
  • Cybersecurity
  • Applications
  • IT Management
  • Storage
  • Sponsored
  • Mobile
  • Small Business
  • Development
  • Database
  • Servers
  • Android
  • Apple
  • Innovation
  • Blogs
  • PC Hardware
  • Reviews
  • Search Engines
  • Virtualization
Read Down
Sign in
Close
Welcome!Log into your account
Forgot your password?
Read Down
Password recovery
Recover your password
Close
Search
Logo
Logo
  • Latest News
  • Artificial Intelligence
  • Video
  • Big Data and Analytics
  • Cloud
  • Networking
  • Cybersecurity
  • Applications
  • IT Management
  • Storage
  • Sponsored
  • Mobile
  • Small Business
  • Development
  • Database
  • Servers
  • Android
  • Apple
  • Innovation
  • Blogs
  • PC Hardware
  • Reviews
  • Search Engines
  • Virtualization
More
    Home Latest News
    • Mobile

    iPhone 5S Gold Rush: Apple’s Latest Nugget in Scarce Supply

    By
    Michelle Maisto
    -
    September 20, 2013
    Share
    Facebook
    Twitter
    Linkedin

      eWEEK content and product recommendations are editorially independent. We may make money when you click on links to our partners. Learn More.

      PrevNext

      1iPhone 5S Gold Rush: Apple’s Latest Nugget in Scarce Supply

      0-iPhone 5S Gold Rush: Apple's Latest Nugget in Scarce Supply

      by Michelle Maisto

      2Apple iPhone 5S: First Come, First Served

      1-Apple iPhone 5S: First Come, First Served

      On Sept. 4, Apple introduced the iPhone 5S, which comes in silver, gray and gold models, alongside the colorful and less-expensive iPhone 5C. Apple made the 5C immediately available for preorder and the 5S a Sept. 20 land grab of sorts.

      3No Gold iPhone 5S at Sprint

      2-No Gold iPhone 5S at Sprint

      By 7:30 a.m. Sept. 20, a small line had formed in front of this Brooklyn Sprint store, which like its rivals was opening two hours early to sell the new iPhones. Even the first person in line was disappointed. “All we got were 64GB gray phones. That’s it,” said a manager.

      4No Gold iPhone 5S at Verizon Wireless

      3-No Gold iPhone 5S at Verizon Wireless

      In Manhattan, a longer line had formed by 7:55 a.m. in front of a Verizon Wireless store, where again there would be no gold iPhone for the first person in line. He told me, not terribly upset, “They said they’d received everything but the gold iPhones.”

      5Gold iPhones, but How Many?

      4-Gold iPhones, but How Many?

      At the SoHo Apple store in Manhattan, it had been a long morning for patient folks at the front of the line.

      6Apple Rolls Out the Welcome Mat

      5-Apple Rolls Out the Welcome Mat

      By 8:10 a.m., the line at the SoHo store was around the corner and down the block. Blue-shirted Apple employees gave out numbers and took names—and made clear that there were no more gold iPhone 5S handsets to be had.

      7Gold iPhone Shortage in Manhattan

      6-Gold iPhone Shortage in Manhattan

      An Apple employee wouldn’t say how many gold iPhone 5S units the store had received. “A very limited amount,” he insisted.

      8Gold iPhone Shortage Worldwide

      7-Gold iPhone Shortage Worldwide

      Strategy Analytics analyst Ken Hyers said Apple had likely underestimated demand for the gold version, expecting it to be more popular in Asia. Though even there, he added, Apple had failed to meet demand, as reports were emerging of shortages in Hong Kong and elsewhere. (Shown here, the beginning of the end of the line at the SoHo Apple store.)

      9Online Store Out of Stock as Well

      8-Online Store Out of Stock as Well

      By 10 a.m. ET, Apple’s online store was promising to ship gold iPhone 5S units in “October” and AT&T had pushed back its shipment time for the units to “21 to 28 business days.”

      10Apple’s Motives

      9-Apple's Motives

      “Is there a better way to create frenzied demand for the gold iPhone than by announcing no one can get it?” analyst Jack Narcotta, with Technology Business Research, told eWEEK, offering another rationale. “I can’t imagine Apple, the consumer king, underestimated consumer demand.”

      PrevNext

      Get the Free Newsletter!

      Subscribe to Daily Tech Insider for top news, trends & analysis

      MOST POPULAR ARTICLES

      Artificial Intelligence

      9 Best AI 3D Generators You Need...

      Sam Rinko - June 25, 2024 0
      AI 3D Generators are powerful tools for many different industries. Discover the best AI 3D Generators, and learn which is best for your specific use case.
      Read more
      Cloud

      RingCentral Expands Its Collaboration Platform

      Zeus Kerravala - November 22, 2023 0
      RingCentral adds AI-enabled contact center and hybrid event products to its suite of collaboration services.
      Read more
      Artificial Intelligence

      8 Best AI Data Analytics Software &...

      Aminu Abdullahi - January 18, 2024 0
      Learn the top AI data analytics software to use. Compare AI data analytics solutions & features to make the best choice for your business.
      Read more
      Latest News

      Zeus Kerravala on Networking: Multicloud, 5G, and...

      James Maguire - December 16, 2022 0
      I spoke with Zeus Kerravala, industry analyst at ZK Research, about the rapid changes in enterprise networking, as tech advances and digital transformation prompt...
      Read more
      Video

      Datadog President Amit Agarwal on Trends in...

      James Maguire - November 11, 2022 0
      I spoke with Amit Agarwal, President of Datadog, about infrastructure observability, from current trends to key challenges to the future of this rapidly growing...
      Read more
      Logo

      eWeek has the latest technology news and analysis, buying guides, and product reviews for IT professionals and technology buyers. The site’s focus is on innovative solutions and covering in-depth technical content. eWeek stays on the cutting edge of technology news and IT trends through interviews and expert analysis. Gain insight from top innovators and thought leaders in the fields of IT, business, enterprise software, startups, and more.

      Facebook
      Linkedin
      RSS
      Twitter
      Youtube

      Advertisers

      Advertise with TechnologyAdvice on eWeek and our other IT-focused platforms.

      Advertise with Us

      Menu

      • About eWeek
      • Subscribe to our Newsletter
      • Latest News

      Our Brands

      • Privacy Policy
      • Terms
      • About
      • Contact
      • Advertise
      • Sitemap
      • California – Do Not Sell My Information

      Property of TechnologyAdvice.
      © 2024 TechnologyAdvice. All Rights Reserved

      Advertiser Disclosure: Some of the products that appear on this site are from companies from which TechnologyAdvice receives compensation. This compensation may impact how and where products appear on this site including, for example, the order in which they appear. TechnologyAdvice does not include all companies or all types of products available in the marketplace.

      ×