iPhone 6 Plus 16GB, 64GB now ship in one day
All other versions of iPhone 6 still require longer ship times as supply catches up with demand.
Those of you who order the 16GB or 64GB version of the iPhone 6 Plus via Apple's online store now have a shorter wait before the phone reaches your doorstep.
As of Thursday, Apple's website showed a ship time of one business day for these phones that boast a 5.5-inch screen. That estimate is down from 1 to 3 business days earlier this week and 3 to 5 days last week.
Sounds good, but what if you're looking for the 128GB version of the 6 Plus? Well, you'll have to wait a bit longer. The ship time for the highest capacity model of the 6 Plus now stands at 3 to 5 business days, down from 7 to 10 days earlier this week.
And what of the iPhone 6? That model is still proving a bit harder to get. Apple's website shows a wait time of 1 to 3 business days for the 16GB and 64GB versions of the iPhone 6, the same estimate as earlier this week. But the 128GB edition is now available to ship in 5 to 7 days, down from 7 to 10 days earlier in the week.
The latest ship time estimates reveal that supplies of the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus are quickly catching up with demand. In an investors' note released this week, Piper Jaffray's Gene Munster said he expected 100 percent availability of the new phones at this point. Last year, supply of the iPhone 5S reached demand in early December. Of course, the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus represent a different type of challenge with larger displays than their predecessors. With consumers craving phones with larger screens, demand for the new iPhones is apt to be greater than it was for last year's model. That seems to be the case, according to Morgan Stanley analyst Katy Huberty.
In an investors' note released on Friday, Huberty said that iPhone demand is above expectations at this point. The firm's AlphaWise Smartphone Tracker, which analyzes sell-through data for the phones, pegs demand for the new iPhones at 67 million units for the December quarter. That forecast jumps past Morgan Stanley's estimate of 62 million units and a Wall Street consensus of around 63 million.
Of course, if you're looking for an iPhone 6 or 6 Plus as a holiday gift, you're better off checking your local Apple store or other retail outlet to make sure you have it in time for Christmas. At the bottom of Apple's iPhone 6 product page, you can click a link to check availability. Enter your zip code on the next screen and then click the Search Stores button. Apple then reveals a list of nearby stores where your selected model is available.
A third-party website called iStockNow also indicates the availability for all models of the iPhone 6 in Apple stores across the US. Third-party retail chains such as Best Buy, Radio Shack, Target and Walmart are all selling the new iPhone 6 and 6 Plus, some with special holiday discounts and promotions. If you need to put the new iPhone under your Christmas tree, you still have a few days left to shop. Otherwise, Apple's website remains a viable option as the phones' ship times continue to fall.
A spokesperson for Apple declined to comment on the iPhone 6 ship times.
(Via AppleInsider)
Update, 10:42 a.m. PT: Adds Apple declining to comment.