Apple’s iPhone 5c became available for preorder at midnight PDT, 3:00 a.m. EDT and in the past that meant we could expect the new iPhone preorders to be sold out later that day. The colorful new phone has now been available for five hours, and it is still currently available for preorder in each of the five colors it will launch in, and on all carriers. That doesn’t mean those of you hoping to get your hands on Apple’s new iPhone 5c on launch day should take your time though, and we’ll be tracking iPhone 5c preorder sellouts all day in this post.
We saw iPhone 5c housings begin to leak months ahead of the phone’s announcement, so we know it has been in production for quite some time. The fact that plenty of units are still available across the board could mean 5c supply is more than abundant and Apple won’t have to worry about shortages at launch. Of course, it could also mean that more interest is focused on the iPhone 5s, or that iPhone 5c demand simply isn’t as high as demand has been in the past for previous iPhone models.
The iPhone 5c features the same specs as Apple’s current iPhone 5 model packed into a bright new plastic case. The phone is $100 less expensive than comparable iPhone 5s models, starting at $99 on contract and $549 unlocked and contract-free.
Preorders are available immediately on Apple’s website as well as each of the four carrier websites, and we’ll update this post with additional details as sellouts occur.
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Sprint is the first carrier to offer signs of imminent sellouts: “We’ll do our best to get it to you by 9/20; but because of high demand, some phones will ship in up to 2 weeks,” The carrier said on its website. “iPhone 5c yellow 32GB will ship in up to 3 weeks. A tracking number will be sent when your phone ships.”
UPDATE, 10:35AM: The unlocked yellow 16GB model is now sold out on Apple’s website. New orders will now ship by September 25th, according to Apple’s site. The fact that Sprint and Apple both referred to the yellow model could mean it’s in high demand or perhaps inventory is light.
UPDATE 2, 9:25AM 09/16: Several iPhone 5c models such as the unlocked 16GB blue and green versions now show a delivery date of as late as October 4th for new preorders. 9to5Mac has more details.
