When AppleInsider contacted stores across the country, the answer was always the same: all stock of 8GB and 16GB iPhone models was completely sold out, and clerks were unsure of when their stores were receive more.
This included flagship outlets in Chicago, New York City, and San Francisco.
Staffers at some stores also appear to have been briefed ahead of time that other stores besides their own were also completely without supplies of the Apple handset. When contacting the Fifth Avenue store, the clerk noted that "all three New York stores" were without stock. At Miami's store at The Falls, one employee stated that supplies were "constrained" throughout all of Florida as well as in New York.
The sudden shortfall has been further confirmed by reports from AppleInsider readers. In several cases, their own investigations reported all stores in a given state running out, including Michigan, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Texas. Many if not all AT&T stores were also said to have run out of inventory.
Apple's online store for the US, usually a bellwether of overall supply, currently shows a 5-7 day shipping delay for iPhones regardless of model.