Pre-orders Sold Out in 5 Minutes... iPhone 13 Sales Begin Amid Supply Concerns

Pre-orders for 'iPhone 13 Pro' at 50%
Preferred colors are Sierra Blue and Silver
Carrier and retailer rivalry
Q4 supply volume impact expected

[Asia Economy Reporter Cha Min-young] The iPhone 13 series, which set a record by selling out in just 5 minutes during the recent pre-order period, will be officially released on the 8th. Due to semiconductor supply shortages causing disruptions in iPhone production, it is expected that initial scarcity will intensify.

According to the telecommunications industry on the 8th, an analysis of pre-order status from the three major mobile carriers showed that the ‘iPhone 13 Pro’ accounted for 40-50% of pre-order volume, making it the most popular model. It was followed by the ‘iPhone 13 Pro Max,’ ‘iPhone 13,’ and ‘iPhone 13 mini.’

By color, for the iPhone 13 Pro and iPhone 13 Pro Max, the newly released ‘Sierra Blue’ was very popular, along with traditionally favored colors such as ‘Graphite’ and ‘Silver.’ For the iPhone 13 and iPhone 13 mini, the ‘Pink’ and ‘Starlight’ colors received overwhelming support.

Although the iPhone 13 series unveiled at the Apple Special Event was criticized for lacking innovation compared to the previous iPhone 12 series, it was nonetheless so popular during pre-orders that it caused scarcity. In the case of SK Telecom, sales on its online direct mall, T Direct Shop, ended within 9 minutes during the first pre-order phase. During the second phase, some popular models sold out within 5 minutes.

The recurring iPhone scarcity phenomenon is expected to intensify this year due to the global semiconductor supply issues, leading to increased competition within the supply chain. In South Korea, not only general dealerships and mobile carriers but also online and offline retailers such as Coupang, Lotte Hi-Mart, and 11st have fiercely competed to secure supply volumes.

There are even predictions that iPhone 13 supply issues could continue throughout the fourth quarter. Global investment bank JP Morgan stated in an investor letter yesterday that camera module production problems in the fourth quarter are expected to affect supply by approximately 5 to 10 million units globally. A telecommunications industry official said, "There was fierce competition due to a significant shortage of units during pre-orders," adding, "We expect a similar situation to continue after the official sales launch."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.