Apple iPhone 5 Pre-Orders Sell Out Within An Hour; Handset Shipment Dates Slip To Two Weeks

This clearly shows how the initial stock got sold out in less than an hour and those looking for purchase after 1 a.m. PT found that new orders came with an estimated shipment dates of two weeks.

Apparently, taking transit times into account, users placing pre-orders may not receive their iPhones until two weeks after official launch date Sept.21.

However, customers placing orders through carriers including AT&T, Verizon and Sprint may be able to receive launch-day delivery, but the dates are no indication to stock availability, MacRumors added.

Billed as the "Biggest consumer electronics product launch of all time," the delivery dates continue to slip with some regions indicating two to three week waiting period, Computerworld noted.

Previously, during the iPhone 4S launch shipment dates extended to four weeks within 24 hours of the device launch, CNET pointed out.

Retail buyers can shop for the device on Sept.21, both at the company store and carrier stores, when stores open at 8 a.m. that day.

Reportedly, the accessories that accompany the new device including lighting dock and cable connector are pushed to next month; weeks after buyers purchase the device. This comprises the $29 worth 30-pin Lighting dock adapter, that allows iPhone 5, iPod Nano and iPod Touch users to connect with the outdated 30-pin cables that accompanied previous models of iPods and iPhones, CNET indicated.

New orders for the adapter commence shipping in October, while the lightning to USB cable shows a waiting period of two to three weeks.