iPhone 5 stocks remain elusive, buyers flock to grey market
It would appear that despite the incredibly high demand, the stocks of iPhone 5 seem to be more elusive than a unicorn. Most retailers are reporting that not only they don’t have a clue as to when the next shipment will arrive, but also that the number of units being received are far too few with respect to what the demand is like.
Apple shipped out 5 million units in the U.S. at the time of launch, with 2 million of those units just being pre-orders. The story for the Indian shores, however, is far different. When the initial wave of phones were shipped out, the numbers failed to even fulfill the pre-orders, with a small fight breaking out in the Saket Apple retailer for the last few phones. Since then, retailers have said that the phones essentially trickle in in meager numbers, and the uncertainty of not knowing about when the next batch will come in has caused them to even stop accepting any more bookings.
People were reported buying the phone in the grey-market for as high as a lakh and eBay listings putting the 16GB version at Rs. 75,000. This was of course before the iPhone 5 landed on the Indian market. The launch did bring the price of the grey-market versions down, but seeing as how there is a severe shortage through the official channels, the iPhone is currently selling for anywhere between Rs.2,000-Rs. 5,000 higher than the official MRP.
So if you’re looking for an iPhone 5 and can’t wait, eBay would be the best bet, though warranty may be an issue. We recommend exercising patience and waiting till the Apple retailers can get enough stock once again. It’s not like the world is coming to an end or anything. Or is it.
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