Launch Day Lines and Sellouts Greet the New iPhone Duo

The new iPhone pair went on sale in stores on Friday, and the first day followed a pattern buyers know well. Queues formed outside stores before doors opened, and some popular configurations sold out quickly. Reports of thin shelves were soon followed by familiar secondary-market activity, with resellers buying up stock to list online at prices above retail.

Launch-day shortages rarely affect a whole product line evenly. Demand tends to cluster around particular colors, storage tiers and carrier variants, so shoppers who wanted one specific option often found it gone while others stayed on shelves. Many who missed out turned to online orders, where delivery dates can slip by days or weeks.

For buyers still deciding, the practical advice is straightforward. Check stock at nearby stores and on Apple's website before heading out, and consider a color or storage size that is easier to find. Be cautious with resale listings priced well above the retail price, since those are often the reason stock disappears so fast in the first place. Availability generally improves once the initial rush passes.