iPhone 5 fecha de lanzamiento: release date is a staggered world issue

by Johnny Major

Q: when is America getting the iPhone 5? A: before Tunisia gets it. With so many iEnthusiasts in the United States seeking information on the iPhone 5 release date, it’s worth remembering that as with iPhones and iPads before it, the rollout date will be staggered in various nations according to how fast Apple can make it happen, how the carriers in each nation or region handle the rollouts, and in some nations, how long it takes the government to sign off on the iPhone 5 as a product. In fact, even the term “iPhone 5 release date” is a regional thing, as someone in Spain or Argentina might be looking for the ” iPhone 5 fecha de lanzamiento” instead. As to how this matters to you, the last two major iLaunches were troublesome because even as it became clear that Apple didn’t have enough inventory to satisfy demand in the nations it originally launched in, it still had to proceed with short-handed launches in second-wave regions which put further strain on supply in first-wave areas. Word has it that this is set to change in the iPhone 5 era, and not a moment too soon.

Fifteen million is the number being bandied about when it comes to how many iPhone 5 units Apple has ordered up front from the manufacturing factories. That stunning number stands in sharp contrast to the iPad 2 launch, where for unclear reasons Apple had as few as three of each iPad 2 model on hand at each Apple Store on its release date, with stores like Wal-Mart and Target having as few as two iPad 2 units total. Last year’s iPhone 4 launch wasn’t much better, as the white model was MIA and the black model was in exceedingly short supply, with months passing before an iPhone 4 could be ordered from Apple.com without a significant wait period. While plenty of would-be buyers simply waited until inventory became available, others likely took a pass – particularly those who were already happy enough with their iPhone 3GS or iPad 1 to get another year out of it and were on the fence about upgrading in the first place. Having lost sales and revenue in the process, Apple now appears set to rectify that in a major way by building up an advance arsenal of iPhone 5 inventory which should mean no shortages at any point in the early days of the iPhone 5 era.

Such a move raises another issue: with such ample iPhone 5 inventory on hand, Apple could attempt to set up a simultaneous initial iPhone 5 release date for more nations and regions, or leave smaller gaps between the initial iPhone 5 launch and the second wave regions. With continued incompatibility in cellular networks around the world (let alone within the United States itself), questions continue to be asked as to whether the iPhone 5 can truly be a “world phone” which can talk to existing iPhone carriers like Verizon and AT&T in addition to non-iPhone U.S. carriers like Sprint and T-Mobile, along with the various other carriers, networks, and frequencies around the world. But whether that’s realistic or not, it looks like the issue of whether you’ll be able to go home with an iPhone 5 in your hands if you get in line on its release date is a moot one: the lines will be long because people will line up hours before the doors open, but there should be no shortages. That’s good news for everyone who wants an iPhone 5, regardless of where they live. Here’s more on the iPhone 5.