Despite supply constraints keeping Apple from meeting the demand for the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus, it looks like the Cupertino giant has been able to reduce shipment times on some models, but the company may have to make it up next year.
Delivery times on Apple’s online store for the 16GB and 64GB iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus have now dropped to just one business day for all colors and all carriers. Until Thursday, certain models, especially the 64GB variant, were sitting at three to five business days. The 128GB iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus is still around three to five business days. Higher capacity models have been more popular this year, as buyers find their smartphones filling up with photos, apps, updates and more faster than before.
Analysts tracking Apple’s iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus sales have found that the company has not been able to match its supply with consumer demand as quickly as forecast. This initially led to high wait times in markets around the world. Apple has caught up significantly to the rabid desire for a new iPhone, but if December goes as expected according to one analyst, then it will have to replenish its inventory during the first quarter of next year.
Morgan Stanley’s Katy Huberty stated a tracker tool that gauges interest via Google searches and Google Trends has shown interest in the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus has been higher than anticipated globally.
“We think buy-side expectations have moved above sell-side models to the mid-60M or above range. Demand is also tracking in-line with supply chain build of 65-70M for the quarter, according to our Asia Tech analyst Jasmine Lu. If these numbers hold for the last two weeks of December, it means channel inventory fill for the iPhone will have to occur in the March quarter or beyond,” Huberty said.
“Apple has said that they plan to increase iPhone channel inventory from a target range of 4-6 weeks to 5-7 weeks, and that the company was below the 4-6 week range entering the December quarter. We estimate a two-week channel inventory replenish could add about 7M units on top of end demand.”
Good news for Apple, but this could mean shipment times will increase after the busy holiday season ends.
iPhone 6 Cases 2015 