Apple's US retail stores reported shortages of some models of the new iPhone 3GS on Sunday, according to the company's own inventory tracking tool.
The shortages were a milder repeat of last summer, when Apple's stores quickly exhausted supplies of the then-new iPhone 3G, a situation that persisted for several weeks until the company could refill the pipeline.
On Sunday, Apple's stock-checking tool indicated that 13 of the 211 stores in the US, or 6% of the total, were completely out of the iPhone 3GS.
Another 31 stores, or 15%, had only one of the four models for sale.
The hardest-to-find iPhone 3GS was the $199 white 16GB model, which was out of stock in 121 stores, or 57% of the outlets. Supplies of the $299 32GB black iPhone 3GS were also short, as 84 stores, or 40% of the total, reported it unavailable.
Customers on Sunday were most likely to find the $199 black 16GB iPhone 3GS and the $299 white 32GB model in stock: Just 23% of the stores were out of either of those configurations.
The iPhone 3GS has been available since June 19, but Apple only recently re-activated the inventory tool. Last summer, users were told to use the tool after 9pm local time each day to check availability for the next day. This year, there is no such instruction, since the tool has been changed to offer better information.
"You can check the most up-to-date availability right here," said Apple on the tool's Web page. "Shipments of iPhone 3GS arrive most days and availability is updated hourly."
All stores currently have the $99 8GB iPhone 3G in stock, Apple added.
AT&T, which last year also ran through its inventory soon after the iPhone 3G's July launch, and took much longer to restock, has some spot shortages in its 2,200 retail
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O2 out of stock of 3G S said: Ive been trying to order a new iPhone since last Monday O2 has been out of Black 16GB 3GS and both of the white 3G S models A phone call to establish when theyll have more stock failed to give any assurances of when their stocks would be replenished I understand its the same in all O2 retail outlets throughout the UK