Apple’s iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus launch might not have had the same long lines that previous iPhone releases have had, but there was still plenty of commotion surrounding Apple’s latest and greatest iPhone handsets. In fact, we showed you some of the hubbub in an earlier post. People around the world were very excited indeed for Apple’s “boring” new iPhones. Despite the fact that Apple won’t be sharing opening-weekend sales this year, early estimates suggest that the new iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus are already a resounding success despite bearing a striking resemblance to their predecessors (and their predecessors’ predecessors, for that matter).
While there certainly wasn’t as much commotion this year, some things never change. Just as the case has been in the past, Apple’s new iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus are extremely difficult to find in stores in these early days. Lucky for you, we’re going to let you in on a little secret that will make it quick and easy to see if the specific iPhone 7 or iPhone 7 Plus model you want is in stock at any of your local Apple stores.
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Apple announced ahead of last Friday’s launch that there would be absolutely no Jet Black iPhone 7 models available in stores. What’s more, the company announced that there wouldn’t be any iPhone 7 Plus handsets available at all, regardless of color. That meant that unless you preordered a phone for September 16th delivery, you weren’t getting an iPhone 7 Plus or a Jet Black iPhone 7. In fact, even iPhone 7 models in other colors were difficult to come by without a preorder.
Launch day is behind us now, and more shipments are coming in every day. As a result, people are finally starting to find the iPhone models they’re looking for in stock. In fact, even iPhone 7 Plus handsets are starting to pop up here and there. The problem is that demand is still far higher than supply, so you have to be diligent if you have any hope of getting your hands on the iPhone you want anytime soon.
No, you don’t have to call each of your local Apple stores repeatedly until you find the model you’re looking for. Here’s what you can do instead:
A small number of sites have popped up that are able to dig into Apple’s online inventory tracker system in real time and show you exactly which iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus models are in stock at every Apple store in the country. One such site is called “iPhone availability check,” and it does a decent job. Our favorite site is called iStockNow though, and it shows you every Apple store on a map. You can narrow your search down by region or iPhone model, or you can click on any Apple store on the map to see exactly which models are in stock.
What should you do once you find one in stock. Head over to the iPhone 7 page in Apple’s online store, and reserve the phone for in-store pickup using Apple’s iPhone Upgrade Program. Don’t worry, if you want to purchase the phone using a carrier program instead, you’ll be able to once you get to the Apple store.
