iPhone 11 faces supply problems in NYC due to Coronavirus

According to a recent report from the New York Post, many retailers in New York City have run out of iPhone 11 models and have trouble scoring one quickly due to Coronavirus.

Employees at numerous retail locations around Manhattan told New York Post, the same story of low stock and infrequent shipments, with little guidance as to when things might get back to normal.

“We don’t have an ETA on any of the shipments”, a Verizon employee of an Upper East Side store said. “It’s a Verizon-wide issue”.

The popular iPhone 11 Pro has been out of stock for “at least a couple of weeks”, a worker at an Upper East Side AT&T store explained, adding that there is no telling when the store’s next shipment will be.

“We got a shipment and it didn’t have any iPhones in it – just flip phones and Samsungs”, said a Verizon store employee on the Upper West Side.

Other retailers contacted on the matter all state that shipments are a couple of weeks out with no real ETA. Some employees contradicted this, however, stating that the phones were being kept in stock in local warehouses to control limited supply during the period.

The Coronavirus put a halt to Apple’s Chinese factories for an extended period last month. Furthermore, Apple suppliers continue to be affected by the ongoing Coronavirus outbreak. For instance, Apple’s iPhone camera module supplier was forced to shut down last week due to an employee contracting the virus. This created a global supply chain shortage and many believe it will continue to impact day to day sales of the iPhone 11 and will likely impact the production of new models expected this fall, like the iPhone 12.

But it is important to note that this report from the New York Post does not necessarily paint a picture of worldwide iPhone supply. That said, shipping times through Apple’s online store are slipping slightly, as is retail availability. Apple predicted this problem last month, but it is unclear how long it will last.