Apple
iPhone 5s In Store Pickup Returns, Gold iPhone 5s Still Tough to Find
After pulling the feature last week, shoppers looking to buy the iPhone 5s without waiting until mid-October or November can order an iPhone 5s online for in store pickup once again.
Apple rolled out the in store pickup option this morning, though iPhone 5s stock remains extremely limited at Apple Stores, which could lead some users to order for home delivery after a disappointing search.
Read: 15 Hidden iPhone 5s Features
Apple will not ship an iPhone 5s to the store for you to cut the line of shipments, but if the local store has one in stock you can reserve it for several days. This option is especially helpful for users who live an hour or more away from the Apple Store or who are searching far and wide for the gold iPhone 5s.
Several searches for a gold iPhone 5s and a space gray iPhone 5s returned no stock in store within a 300 mile radius that covers half-a-dozen states.
Apple may still be holding some stock specifically for walk-ins, or the iPhone 5s stock may simply be that limited at this time.
Apple released the iPhone 5s on September 21, just over a week ago, selling 9 million new iPhones during the opening weekend, including sales of the colorful iPhone 5c which retails for $99.
The iPhone 5c remains in stock at most Apple Stores we checked using the personal pickup option. This model is also available for pickup at many carrier stores and for delivery with free two-to-three day shipping.
To use in store pickup to check if an iPhone 5s is in stock or to reserve one, go to the Apple Store iPhone 5s page and select the iPhone you want. Instead of clicking continue, look right below the green button to see if the iPhone 5s is available for pickup. Click on See more stores to check other locations as well.
Read: 7 Tips for Gold iPhone 5s Buyers
This option will then search local stores by zip code for the iPhone 5s model you want. If you find one, checkout online with the personal pickup option and then go to the local Apple Store to get your new iPhone.
iPhone 5s stock in stores remains very scarce so you will need to check back often to find one. Users can also use the Apple Store app to check the stock at local stores.
Stephanie Benton
09/30/2013 at 11:02 am
I pre-ordered my gold on on Friday the 21 from best buy, and it was waiting in store for me by the 27th! Best Buy is awesome! I assume it’s because less people went their to buy the iphone 5s. Best customer service experience ever.
Jamie
10/07/2013 at 7:36 am
I ordered my iphone5s on Sept 20th at 3am from Apple.Still waiting. Apple screwed up big time