Apple Says iPhone X Demand is 'Off the Charts' After Device Quickly Sells Out Around the World

iPhone X pre-orders began at 12:01 a.m. Pacific Time today and effectively sold out in just minutes. Orders placed now are estimated to ship in five to six weeks, pushing deliveries into early December.

iphone x quad
While the shipping estimates aren't a reliable indicator of iPhone X sales without knowing how much supply is available, Apple issued a statement to MacRumors indicating that customer demand is "off the charts."

We are thrilled to be taking orders for iPhone X, the future of the smartphone. We can see from the initial response, customer demand is off the charts. We're working hard to get this revolutionary new product into the hands of every customer who wants one, as quickly as possible. We will keep accepting orders online, and iPhone X will be available at Apple retail stores on Friday, November 3 starting at 8 a.m., as well as from our carrier and retailer partners around the world.

"The surging shipment lead times around the iPhone X approach the very popular iPhone 6 Plus," said Brian White, an Apple analyst with Drexel Hamilton, in a research note obtained by MacRumors.

The comparison with the iPhone 6 launch doesn't tell us much since, again, we don't know how much inventory was available on each launch day.

Gene Munster, a longtime Apple analyst turned venture capitalist at Loup Ventures, said he views Apple's current five to six week shipping estimate as a sign that demand for the iPhone X is "trending more favorable than investor expectations."

Munster created a chart that visualizes exactly when the iPhone X shipping estimates changed throughout the early hours.

iphone x lead times
Leading up to iPhone X pre-orders, multiple reports suggested Apple's manufacturing partners were struggling to assemble the TrueDepth camera and 3D facial recognition system that powers Face ID.

For this reason, several industry observers said the iPhone X would be in extremely short supply until next year. Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo forecasted there would just two to three million units available at launch.

Apple stopped releasing first weekend sales numbers for new iPhone models last year, as demand typically outweighs supply, so the company feels it is no longer a representative metric for investors or customers.

Customers that missed out on pre-orders or face a lengthy shipping estimate can try their luck at Apple Stores on November 3. Apple said stores will have the iPhone X available for walk-in customers on a first come, first served basis, and it suggested customers arrive early as it anticipates strong demand.

Related Forum: iPhone

Popular Stories

maxresdefault

Apple Releases iOS 18.4 With Priority Notifications, Ambient Music, New Emoji and More

Monday March 31, 2025 10:03 am PDT by
Apple today released iOS 18.4 and iPadOS 18.4, the fourth major updates to the iOS 18 and iPadOS 18 operating system updates that came out last year. iOS 18.4 and iPadOS 18.4 come two months after Apple released iOS 18.3 and iPadOS 18.3. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. The new software can be downloaded on eligible iPhones and iPads over-the-air by going to...
iPhone 17 Pro 34ths Perspective

iPhone 17 Pro Launching Later This Year With These 10 New Features

Sunday March 23, 2025 10:00 am PDT by
While the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max are not expected to launch until September, there are already plenty of rumors about the devices. Below, we recap key changes rumored for the iPhone 17 Pro models as of March 2025: Aluminum frame: iPhone 17 Pro models are rumored to have an aluminum frame, whereas the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro models have a titanium frame, and the iPhone ...
top stories 2025 03 29

Top Stories: WWDC 2025 Announced, iPhone 17 Pro and iOS 19 Rumors, and More

Saturday March 29, 2025 6:00 am PDT by
Apple's big developer event is a little over two months away, and rumors about what we can expect to see in Apple's next major operating system updates are becoming increasingly frequent. A public release of iOS 18.4 is also imminent with a number of updates and improvements, although we won't be getting the major Apple Intelligence Siri upgrades that had reportedly been planned for this...
iOS 19 Mock WWDC25 Feature

iOS 19 Expected to Run on These iPhones

Monday March 31, 2025 5:28 pm PDT by
iOS 19 will not be available on the iPhone XR, iPhone XS, or the iPhone XS Max, according a private account on social media site X that has accurately provided information on device compatibility in the past. The iPhone XR, iPhone XS, and iPhone XS Max all have an A12 Bionic chip, so it looks like iOS 19 will discontinue support for that chip. All other iPhones that run iOS 18 are expected...
Magic Mouse Green

What to Expect From the Magic Mouse 3

Saturday March 29, 2025 10:15 am PDT by
Apple is reportedly working on a new Magic Mouse. Below, we recap what to expect. The two key rumors for the Magic Mouse 3 so far include a relocated charging port, along with a more ergonomic design. It was briefly rumored that the Magic Mouse 3 would also feature voice control, but that was misinterpreted information. Relocated Charging Port While the Magic Mouse switched from...
iOS 18

iOS 18.4 Expected Next Week - Here Are the Release Notes

Friday March 28, 2025 2:01 pm PDT by
With the second release candidate of iOS 18.4 that Apple seeded out today, the company finally provided us with release notes that give a full rundown on what to expect. There's an Apple Vision Pro app, new Apple Intelligence features for notifications and additional language support, plus an Apple News Food feature for Apple News+ subscribers, and several updates that should improve the...
Foldable iPhone 2023 Feature Homescreen

Six Things to Know About Apple's Upcoming Foldable iPhone

Friday March 28, 2025 3:54 pm PDT by
We've been hearing rumors about a foldable iPhone for almost a decade now, but it looks like we might finally see the device come to fruition in 2026. We're going to be waiting many more months for the foldable iPhone, but so far we're hearing good things. Apple wants to make it creaseless. It's taken Apple multiple years to design a foldable iPhone that it's satisfied with because Apple ...
iOS 19 visionOS UI Elements

Apple Codename Provides Clue About iOS 19's Rumored New Design

Sunday March 30, 2025 6:40 am PDT by
Multiple sources have claimed that iOS 19 will introduce a new design with more translucent buttons, menus, notification banners, and more, and there is now another clue that points towards this glass-like appearance. Bloomberg's Mark Gurman today said the new design project is codenamed "Solarium" internally. A solarium is a room with glass walls that allow in plenty of sunlight, so this...

Top Rated Comments

hlfway2anywhere Avatar
97 months ago
This is going to be wild when people realize Face ID is completely insecure for practical usage
Feel free to substantiate your comment with some kind of evidence.
Score: 55 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Crosscreek Avatar
97 months ago
Lol....that's what happens when you have a short supply.
Score: 53 Votes (Like | Disagree)
NachoGrande Avatar
97 months ago
Turn a manufacturing mistake into positive news for your stock.
Score: 38 Votes (Like | Disagree)
citysnaps Avatar
97 months ago
Going to love the conspiracy theories and justifications on this thread.
Score: 27 Votes (Like | Disagree)
convergent Avatar
97 months ago
This is ROFL material. Its a headline that pre-orders are "off the charts" and based on sell outs... but we all know they had like 1/10th the supply they usually have because they've rushed this product out and having trouble making them. Is there anything that won't be spun as a positive?

How about a more accurate headline... "As expected, manufacturing delays led to early sell outs of new iPhone X".
Score: 26 Votes (Like | Disagree)
MarkB786 Avatar
97 months ago
It's easy to appear "off the charts" when the "chart" shows minimal stock available in the first place. Apple is always good with the spin, although this same spin, year after year, is becoming tiresome. I am REALLY hoping for SOMETHING truly new and amazing from Apple soon. Just not sure they have that mojo anymore.
Score: 25 Votes (Like | Disagree)