Good Luck Finding the iPhone 11 in New York City
2 min readRetail stores in New York City are unable to sell Apple’s iPhone 11, according to the New York Post. Consumer demand remains strong, but retailers are either out of stock or low on units as the coronavirus outbreak shuts down manufacturing facilities overseas. Now, there’s an ongoing iPhone 11 shortage in the Big Apple that could likely spread to other major cities in the United States.
Apple didn’t confirm the shortage, but the New York Post reached out to several retail stores throughout Manhattan and discovered a similar story across all of them. You just can’t find the iPhone 11 anywhere. In some retail stores, employees reported receiving infrequent shipments of other smartphones while unable to estimate when Apple’s flagship duo might return to their locations.
Some speculate that Apple and its partners might not want units sitting around in retail stores. If an iPhone shortage does exist, one AT&T employee suggested holding units in warehouses allows these companies to distribute them across the country as necessary. Shop online with Apple and any of the major U.S. carriers, and it’s likely that you can arrange in-store pickup. There just might be a two-day or three-day wait until the retail store receives the item.
Most iPhone 11 and 11 Pro configurations, if not all of them, appear limited in New York City. You’ll find retail stores with one or two units to sell, but availability is severely restricted in an area that features multiple Apple Store sites and countless carrier-branded storefronts.
It shouldn’t surprise that Apple can’t manufacture and distribute units as efficiently as usual. Replacement units are in short supply for up to four weeks, and the manufacturing of all products, including the upcoming low-cost iPhone and new iPad Pro, could get delayed. Foxconn’s China-based factories reportedly closed for a significant period, but Apple’s longtime assembler claims it’ll return to full capacity at the end of March. Still, it could take a few weeks for the supply chain to regain stable footing.
