Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) has temporarily shut down its online store in the United States in preparation for the highly anticipated roll out and strong demand for its flagship device – the iPhone 5S.
Many people awaiting for the actual sales of the iPhone 5S noticed that the online store of the tech giant went offline around 8:30 P.M. Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) is showing a familiar message on its store front which reads, “We’ll be back. We’re busy updating the Apple store for you and we’ll be back soon.”
It is obvious that the tech giant is preparing for a rush of orders for the iPhone 5S. As we all know, many Apple fans are anxious to be among the first people who will get hold of the device. Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) will start selling the device at midnight Pacific Time and consumers will be able to pick up their devices around 8:00 in the morning their local time.
Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) started receiving pre-orders for the iPhone 5C last week, and there had been reports that the company might experience limited supply for the iPhone 5S because of the new fingerprint sensor, and some reports are saying that there might also be a shortage for the gold color. Many customers are anticipating that they will receive their new device within 7 days to 10 days.
Analysts at Jefferies recently cut their price target for the shares of Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) from $450 to $425 per share due to concerns that the availability of the iPhone 5S will be limited during the roll-out. Based on their channel checks, suppliers are receiving production cuts for the devices. The analysts estimated that the tech giant will ship 7 million iPhone 5S in the fourth quarter, fewer than expected. Jefferies noted that the suppliers’ production volume for the TouchID or fingerprint sensor has been ‘”terrible.”
