Analysts and pundits who worried that demand for a large-screen iPhone may have been sated with the release last year of the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus would seem to have
no foundation for their concern. While no concrete numbers on pre-orders are out yet, the new Rose Gold anodized aluminum color option for the iPhone 6s and 6s Plus has slipped to four to six weeks shipping time after the first day of sales, while Hong Kong completely sold out of new iPhone pre-orders on the first day.
Pre-ordering was opened on Apple's website at 12:01AM Pacific Time, and at last check for the US all iPhone 6s Plus models are now delayed three to four weeks, while the iPhone 6s varies, but is mostly available for September 25 delivery in all colors and capacities except the Rose Gold option in 64GB or 128GB capacities (T-Mobile is also out of the 128GB Space Gray variant) -- the 16GB model appears to be generally available from most carriers, though T-Mobile reports it is sold out of the Rose Gold version at all capacities.
This year, there are several new options for buyers: Apple has introduced its own
iPhone Upgrade Program, which is similar to the "installment plan/fast upgrade" options available from other carriers except that it includes AppleCare+ and sells the units unlocked. The overall cost of the program varies, but starts at $32.45 per month for the 16GB model 6s with the annual upgrade plan, about the same as buying a similar model from most other carries and then adding in the average monthly cost of AppleCare+, which is normally available separately. Apart from Verizon, no other carrier offers to sell unlocked iPhones apart from Apple, however.
T-Mobile has a new Jump On Demand program that appears to
save about $125 compared to the other carrier's installment options, enough of a difference to pay for the newly-increased cost of AppleCare+ on the new iPhones, which has
risen to $129 from $99 for two years' coverage. The AppleCare+ policy covers the normal warranty against defects, but also includes up to two incidents of replacement in the case of user-caused damage, with a per-incident additional charge of $100 (up from $80 for the iPhone 6 models). Users buying older models now, such as the iPhone 6/6Plus or the iPhone 5s, are unaffected by the price change in AppleCare+ for the iPhone 6s family.
The Hong Kong sellout, reported by a blog that keeps track of shipping times at Apple Stores in the region, is likely due in part to the fact that many Chinese nationals prefer to shop there due to a lower taxation rate on such purchases. The new iPhones hit the four-to-six week delay threshold within the first hour of availability, and completely sold out of pre-order or in-store reservation shortly afterwards.
Other models of the new iPhone 6s Plus have also slipped to at least two weeks in all countries, with at least two to three weeks delay in China for the 6s and three to four week for the 6s Plus. In the US and North America generally, the regular iPhone 6s appears to have only minor or no delays, except for the larger-capacity Rose Gold models.
The Gold and Rose Gold iPhones do not, of course, have any actual gold in them, and consist of anodized aluminum -- but the colors are carefully created to mirror the genuine-gold Apple Watch colors, which use a strengthened gold alloy for the Gold Edition and blend in copper to achieve the Rose Gold Edition, both of which
start at $10,000. Apple also used the anodized aluminum colors to create new
Gold and Rose Gold color options for the Sport versions of the Apple Watch, which sell at the same price as other colors in the range, starting at $350.
Depending on availability, the iPhone 6s and 6s Plus are scheduled to become available at retail stores on September 25. Apple is thought to have ordered at least as many, and likely many more, of the units as it did for last year's launch -- suggesting that pre-sales may again break records for the company. Our colleagues at
AppleInsider have put together
a guide on the best deals for those wishing to sell their current iPhones in order to help pay for an upgrade.
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