Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL)’s iPhone 5S shortage increased as the availability of the new premium category iPhone dropped to just 5% of all iPhone models over the past three weeks, according to a report by Piper Jaffray’s analyst Gene Munster, who reported 6% availability a few weeks ago.
Supply to catch up in December
Apple launched the iPhone 5S on September 20th and it accounted for 27% of all iPhone availability at the time of launch, but since then the percentage has dropped to a meager 5% as demand surged, claims Munster.
Munster believes that the iPhone 5S shortage can end around December just like it did for the iPhone 5, which was available as per the demand by December last year. Apple’s online store shows a ship date of two to three weeks for iPhone 5S.
Munster reached his conclusion of the short supply of iPhone 5S after gathering data from 60 different US Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) retail stores, three times a week.
Apple iPad mini 2 may also face supply issues
In another report, Rhoda Alexander, director of tablet research at IHS electronics and media, warned that the supply of iPad mini 2 with Retina display may be “ridiculously tight.” Prior to that report, Alexander KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo also warned that the supply of Retina iPad mini would probably be “highly constrained.”
Analysts noted that the iPad mini 2 will be in scarce supply as the shipment is one-third the size compared to last year.
These predictions by analysts do not promise complete accuracy, but on the other hand, Kuo is one reliable source when it comes to iPads as, previously he rightly predicted that the new iPad will not have Touch ID and will not come in a gold shade.
Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) announced that the iPad Air will be available from November 1, but for the iPad mini, no exact date was available, rather an imprecise period of November was given, which strengthens the supply scarcity report.
iPhone 5C catching up
Other news which may increase the supply problem for Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) is that the demand for the iPhone 5C seems to be coming in level with the high-end iPhone 5S. The budgeted version lagged behind iPhone 5S in sales though both the phones were released together. According to Localytics, Apple’s iPhone 5C is leveling with iPhone 5S with the sales gap dropping to only 200% in the United States.
