Gold iPhone 5s Sold Out Online Until October

Apple sold out of its initial batch of gold iPhone 5s units less than five minutes after putting them up for sale at Apple.com at midnight. Apple and its wireless partners state that some iPhone 5s models are not available until October.

At midnight Apple.com showed all iPhone 5s as being available to ship within 1 to 3 business days to American customers. But within minutes the gold iPhone 5s availability slipped to 7 to 10 days. A few minutes later, Apple changed the ship dates to simply read “October.” That means a wait of up to six weeks for customers willing to buy within minutes of the latest iPhone 5s going on sale.

Early reports show strong demand for the gold iPhone 5s and severe shortages at Apple stores. Some wireless carrier stores and retailers are rumored to have no gold iPhone 5s units at some locations.

The gold iPhone 5s marks the first time Apple’s offered anything besides a white or black flagship iPhone. The iPhone 5c is available in five colors, but its plastic body and specifications won’t satisfy the most dedicated iPhone fans.

Apple is not taking reservations for in-store pickup in the United States or offering an iPhone 5s availability checker quite yet.

T-Mobile is vague regarding its iPhone 5s ship dates. At checkout, shoppers are greeted by a message that says that the iPhone 5s in their carts may not be available for immediate shipping, regardless of which model is selected. T-Mobile is the only iPhone 5s carrier that is charging iPhone customers full price, though it does offer the option to spread payments out over 24 months.

Sprint anticipated the iPhone 5s shortage, displaying the below message at checkout. This prepared message shows that Sprint isn’t guaranteeing any iPhone 5s shipments for at three weeks.

Just minutes after going on sale Verizon is estimating gold iPhone 5s shipments won’t start until October 14, nearly a month from now.

The iPhone 5s is virtually identical to the iPhone 5 in terms of external appearance. Some Apple customers clearly want the gold iPhone 5s because it’s easily identifiable as being the latest and greatest model. It is nearly impossible to differentiate the white and space grey iPhone 5s models from their predecessors.

Though Apple stuck with the same external design, the iPhone 5s has some worthy upgrades. The Touch ID fingerprint scanning system, faster processor and improved camera are all some people need to justify the cost of upgrading.

This is the first time all four U.S. wireless carriers have simultaneously launched a new iPhone model.

While Apple and its partners have sold out of gold iPhone 5s units, the