Other Apple is faking demand

[SpotOnT]

Store sales and online sales are likely different distribution channels.

Same as getting the phone from Verizon or AT&T. Different distribution channels.

 

[BradLA]

I think you are looking for a conspiracy that will garner debate for numerous pages.

The OP is in dire need of attention.

 

[enricoclaudio]

My iPhone 17 Pro Max Orange 256GB is not available on any of the 7 Apple Stores in Houston.

 

[vinegarshots]

I wish they were faking it— I’m tired of waiting for my order. My local Apple Store only has 2 Pro Maxes in-store. 🤪

 

[nepaiphone]

What logical fallacy.

With the iPhone 15 launch, there wasn't any stock in any single Apple Store for up to a month. If you didn't order it online, you were screwed.

iPhone 17, people are not rushing to pick it up from multiple Apple Stores, as I can get every iPhone 17 that I want now. They are literally waiting there for someone to go get them, but they are still available. These things are not that in demand like the iPhone 15 was.

Not true, when i got my 15 pro max I didn’t pre order, I walked into my Apple Store the Saturday after release and got one, no issues. Some people want them shipped and not go to an Apple Store or don’t live within a reasonable distance to one so shipping can and does get extended. They don’t ship from available store stock.

 

[Arran]

Wouldn't blame Apple if they're funneling sales through their stores early-on instead of home delivery.

When a customer's picking up in a store they have skin in the game. For one, they've invested time just getting to the store. For two, they're going to check-out the demo models first to make sure they like the phone. It's easier and cheaper for everyone if they realize they made a mistake now and switch to a different model on the spot: No sealed boxes are opened and only one box leaves the store.

Compare that to previous years where people would boast here that they're having all the colors delivered (for free!) and plan to open them all up at home before returning the colors they don't like. That's expensive for a retailer. In reality we're all subsidizing it.

 

[zonai]

Yeah, no, this is not how it works. None of the 12 nearest stores to me have a base model Pro Max in stock in any color. Just because they're in stock for OP doesn't mean every Apple store on Earth has them. Two is, it's logistically easier for them to ship phones to store in mass shipments rather than sending individual phones out to people. They're going to have limited capacity with UPS/FedEx/DHL/whoever to get millions of devices out to people's homes vs sending a few thousand pallets to Apple stores.

 

[zonai]

When a customer's picking up in a store they have skin in the game. For one, they've invested time just getting to the store. For two, they're going to check-out the demo models first to make sure they like the phone. It's easier and cheaper for everyone if they realize they made a mistake now and switch to a different model on the spot: No sealed boxes are opened and only one box leaves the store.

Your Apple Store lets you swap and browse on launch day? Mine was very strict about not letting anyone in the store if they didn't have an appointment or pickup order, and they were asking what product each person was picking up.

 

[TheRealAlex]

On the Apple website, it says you need to wait 3-4 weeks to order an iPhone 17 Pro Max. You'd think these iPhone's are in huge demand, they are not.
1. I can literally get every color, every storage for the iPhone 17 Pro Max from multiple Apple Store. With the iPhone 15 Pro Max, this was impossible. I had to check everyday for 2 weeks in the Apple Store to get an iPhone 15 Pro Max.
2. There are no huge queue's outside of the Apple Store for people wanting an iPhone 17. With the iPhone 15 Pro Max, there were huge queue's outside the Apple Store every single day for many weeks.
3. It's not because of the iPhone Air, I can get every iPhone Air in every color and in every storage too from multiple Apple Stores.

So how come Apple says online you need to wait 3-4 weeks, but multiple Apple Stores have all the iPhone Air, iPhone Pro Max in every color and every storage available without needing to wait at all.

Apple is simply faking the demand. They can deliver these iPhone 17 Pro max to people who are waiting for 3-4 weeks but they want to create the impression for the people that pre-ordered that these phone's are more special than that they really are.

1000% True.

For the last 2 years make that 3 now. I always Trade In Store. I hate being Forced into a system. My personal hobby is finding ways around systems.

I always skip the Pre-order que and Show Up Day 1. APPLE always has EXTRA on hand. My usual tactic is an In store Cash refund of a simple Object like a charging cable I buy a few days before.

This hack grants me access to inside the store. I just skipped 40 people who are standing in line who have already Paid.

I give myself priority access. After my simple return I ask the associate to help me with a “Trade In” Now I have a $700 Gift card. I ask the associate to sell me a new iPhone 17 ProMAX with AppleCare.

I’m in and out before most of the Line has even been called.

There are always Plenty of Extra Stock.

 

[ddavid]

No, they are not “faking demand” the Apple Store I went to at 11am Friday was swarming with customers in line to get in, with two very long lines, one for preorders and one for other customers. The other two stores near me were similarly slammed according to news photos and customer comments.

 

[Arran]

Your Apple Store lets you swap and browse on launch day? Mine was very strict about not letting anyone in the store if they didn't have an appointment or pickup order, and they were asking what product each person was picking up.

Once you're in the store, who's going to stop you looking at the demo models? That's what I did last year. If the demo model isn't as you'd imagined, why even bother picking up?

Admittedly, it wasn't launch day last year (which could work differently depending on volume). But it was definitely launch week-ish.

That said, I do remember a few years ago - right after covid - they brought the bagged phone out to me so I never even got into the store.

 

[Arran]

1000% True.

For the last 2 years make that 3 now. I always Trade In Store. I hate being Forced into a system. My personal hobby is finding ways around systems.

I always skip the Pre-order que and Show Up Day 1. APPLE always has EXTRA on hand. My usual tactic is an In store Cash refund of a simple Object like a charging cable I buy a few days before.

This hack grants me access to inside the store. I just skipped 40 people who are standing in line who have already Paid.

I give myself priority access. After my simple return I ask the associate to help me with a “Trade In” Now I have a $700 Gift card. I ask the associate to sell me a new iPhone 17 ProMAX with AppleCare.

I’m in and out before most of the Line has even been called.

There are always Plenty of Extra Stock.

Noted.

You know, you really shouldn't go telling everyone your game plan (unless, of course, you have a better one now . Thanks, nonetheless)

 

[vinegarshots]

There are always Plenty of Extra Stock.

Except there is no extra stock right now…🤪

 

[digimc]

I seriously doubt that Apple would be faking demand and intentionally make people wait longer for delivery. Because it is basic human psychology. The longer a person's order is processing the more likely they are to have second thoughts and just cancel the order. Either that or they just get tired of waiting and cancel the order. It is in Apple's best interest to get the phones out as soon as possible, because again Apple doesn't technically get your money till the phone ships.

 

[kp98077]

my local store had more people in line, and in the store than I have seen since iPhone 13 - crazy busy and out of everything pro.

 

[fessura]

I really don't know but checking into it, perhaps OP had previous experiences that led to distrust, cynicism, feeling of having been manipulated or deceived. I don't say such is valid or not; such perhaps just is.

Going by what others have said, shift to production in India and elsewhere has improved shipping times. People say there are less component bottlenecks vs last year. In general it is said Apple operates at or near full capacity and does not intentionally limit production. There could be other factors, yet there is a thing that I'm not sure if true or not yet others speak of:

Scarcity marketing is about messaging, media, and psychological framing: Apple emphasizes “out of stock” reports, media coverage of sellouts, and urgent messaging to enhance perceived value, desirability, and status, even if they are not deliberately holding back supply.

Of supply, my area all base iPhones are sold out in all colors and capacities, iPhone Pro Max perhaps one color one capacity at the moment, Air a fair amount available, Pro I haven't checked.

 

[gary77]

Had a look at stock levels near me only the iPhone air models are available the base models and pro models are out of stock at my nearest 12 Apple Store locations with a wait time of 2-3 week wait time

 

[arc of the universe]

On the Apple website, it says you need to wait 3-4 weeks to order an iPhone 17 Pro Max. You'd think these iPhone's are in huge demand, they are not.
1. I can literally get every color, every storage for the iPhone 17 Pro Max from multiple Apple Store. With the iPhone 15 Pro Max, this was impossible. I had to check everyday for 2 weeks in the Apple Store to get an iPhone 15 Pro Max.
2. There are no huge queue's outside of the Apple Store for people wanting an iPhone 17. With the iPhone 15 Pro Max, there were huge queue's outside the Apple Store every single day for many weeks.
3. It's not because of the iPhone Air, I can get every iPhone Air in every color and in every storage too from multiple Apple Stores.

So how come Apple says online you need to wait 3-4 weeks, but multiple Apple Stores have all the iPhone Air, iPhone Pro Max in every color and every storage available without needing to wait at all.

Apple is simply faking the demand. They can deliver these iPhone 17 Pro max to people who are waiting for 3-4 weeks but they want to create the impression for the people that pre-ordered that these phone's are more special than that they really are.

dear original poster,

there are not very many 100% totally assurable things in the world these days.
but of the things that are still 100% totally assurable is that apple is one of the pre-eminent companies in the world in managing inventory.
from parts, to launch day numbers, to pre-christmas inventory, to hastening units to arrive in the USA before tariffs were to kick in, to pre-end-of-life inventory.

an other thing that is 100% totally assurable is that apple gets sales for every phone they do sell.
they want to maximize their sales, every day of every month of every year. telling customers where product is is the biggest way to sell phones.

an other thing that is 100% totally assurable is that within 48 hours of launch, there are already instructions to component and finished unit suppliers in over 40 countries that either scale up or scale down the original orders that were in place.
its through that process that we have already heard a rumor reported by Macrumors staff that the base model of Iphone 17 has scaled up orders quite massively.

within a few more days there will be more leaks about scale up and and scale down.
its at that time that apple will change its marketing spend per product line as well.

 

[C. Robert]

They arent lying, they're placing demand in their stores for customers who walk in and buy.

 

[thebellnd]

Demand is off-the-charts for these new iPhones, but I do know Apple are working hard to get these incredible devices into the hands of customers as quickly as possible.

 

[A1423]

Isn't it obvious? Everyone with experiences counter to the OP's narrative is lying in an effort to discredit them. No doubt a systematic underground campaign created by the very executives within Apple that so bungled the release of the iPhone 17 lineup. The stink of lies hangs heavy over us all.

This reminds me. I need to get paid this week for all my shilling.

 

[WarmWinterHat]

1. You can’t as a general rule. Perhaps in your location, but you can check in store stock online and that certainly isn’t the case.
2. The lines were there on launch day, and people are still checking updated stock daily to order. No one was queuing for weeks for the iPhone 15’s, it’s busy on launch day/ that weekend then it tails off.
3. Again, you can’t.

The new iPhones are massively in demand, more so it seems than in recent years.

Got any proof to back up your claims?

There were just a handful of people in line at my local Apple store, and it wasn't overly busy on launch day. I have no idea what demand was/is, but "the lines were there on launch day" wasn't the case everywhere, and the majority (65-70%) of people, in the US, buy their iPhones from their carrier.

Additionally, a lot of people don't follow Apple, including iPhone owners. Many in my office/department, as of this morning, didn't even know a new iPhone had been released until an email came out that we were to update our phones to iOS 26, which got a discussion going.

All of which add up, for me, to Apple not faking anything. There is no reason that actually makes sense.

 

[Lab1]

I cannot get a Pro Max in any configuration at either of my two local Apples stores for a few weeks.

 

[joshwithachance]

There were just a handful of people in line at my local Apple store, and it wasn't overly busy on launch day. I have no idea what demand was/is, but "the lines were there on launch day" wasn't the case everywhere, and the majority (65-70%) of people, in the US, buy their iPhones from their carrier.

Additionally, a lot of people don't follow Apple, including iPhone owners. Many in my office/department, as of this morning, didn't even know a new iPhone had been released until an email came out that we were to update our phones to iOS 26, which got a discussion going.

All of which add up, for me, to Apple not faking anything. There is no reason that actually makes sense.

Around noon on launch day there was an hour+ long line for both pick-up and walk-ins at the Providence, RI store.

So I guess it really does depend on your general area.

 

[ErneX]

Apple is simply faking the demand. They can deliver these iPhone 17 Pro max to people who are waiting for 3-4 weeks but they want to create the impression for the people that pre-ordered that these phone's are more special than that they really are.

No mean to offend, but it’s hilarious to even think this is a real possibility. These things practically sell themselves.