iPhone 5 buyers in Hong Kong can’t just walk into an Apple store and purchase the popular new smartphone. Instead, short supply levels have forced Hong Kong locations to implement a lottery type system.
Residents in the tech-friendly city tell AllThingsD that finding an iPhone 5 has become extremely difficult because every single store is “sold out.” One resident says of the situation:
“Carriers like SmarTone are taking orders, but they’re not offering delivery until late October, early November. If you’ve just got to have one, your best bet is the Apple Store lottery, but that’s a total crapshoot.”
According to Topeka analyst Brian White
“At Apple’s retail store, the iPhone 5 can be ordered online and a lottery process determines who is eligible for pickup at the store the next day … Based on our conversations, you might have a better shot at winning [an actual] lottery than getting the iPhone 5 the next day.”
While Apple may wish it could match supply requests, at the present moment it can’t be a bad feeling to know that your device is in such high demand that buyers are willing to flood your lottery system with requests.
In other parts of the world, the iPhone 5 has been met with better supply, although some customer delays have still been experienced.
Apple’s stock valuation has fallen by nearly $70 billion since the iPhone 5 released to worse than expected expectations; with Hong Kong now fighting for the device and Apple Maps issues being worked out, there may be hope yet for the company’s newest smartphone.
