iPhone XR demand may have picked up, as delivery times slip to November

More colorful than its more capable siblings, the 6.1-inch LCD-sporting iOS handset was widely expected to sell like hotcakes, as buyers could confidently say “I have the best too”, despite spending $250 less.

But at least for the time being, it appears not that many people agree with Phil Schiller, Apple’s Senior Vice President of Worldwide Marketing. Although iPhone XR pre-orders are reportedly on track to exceed the initial numbers of last year’s iPhone 8 and 8 Plus, they’re nowhere near as impressive as those posted by the iPhone XS and XS Max.

Shipping times also remained uncharacteristically steady during the phone’s first weekend on the market, pretty much confirming demand is not as rampant as certain analysts anticipated. About four days in, Apple finally sold out its initial inventory, which means if you pre-order the iPhone XR at the time of this writing, you can no longer expect to receive the device as soon as it launches.

Instead, you’ll have to wait until the November 6 - 13 week, at least in the US, regardless of your carrier, color, and storage configuration of your choice. Either red models are not substantially more popular than all other finishes after all, or Apple did a great job stocking up on snazzier iPhone XR flavors. 

The iPhone XR saw daylight in over 50 countries and territories worldwide on October 19, and although we haven’t taken the time to check every single one, most regional Apple Stores in major global markets are currently listing “1-2 weeks” delivery times. 

Obviously, without any sort of official sales numbers available out there, we probably shouldn’t jump to conclusions and call the iPhone XR a flop. Besides, unlike the iPhone XS, which started off impressively but quickly took a hit in popularity, the XR is expected to remain in high demand throughout the holiday season and beyond.

source: Apple