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21.5-inch iMac ship times increase to 2-3 weeks
Usually, the longer you wait after an Apple product introduction, the shorter the ship time becomes. That's not the case with the new 21.5-inch iMac. When it first went on sale shipping times for all but the first-day buyers were quoted as seven to 10 days. Shipping times remained at seven to 10 days through the busy holiday season as well. Today, shipping times for the new 21.5-inch iMac have increased to between two and three weeks. This increased shipping time first appeared in Apple's Asian online stores before migrating to Europe. From my vantage point in the UK the Apple online store is also now quoting two to three weeks. As of this writing the increased ship times have not propagated to the US store, but purchasers there can expect it to happen shortly if the past is any indication. So what does the increased shipping time mean? It could be that demand is very high. It could also mean that Apple is having a problem obtaining all the parts they need to keep up with demand. It could be a bit of both. The all-new, super-slim iMacs have been in both high demand, and have had part supply issues since their unveiling in October.
iPhone 4 shipping times improved
Good news for those wanting to purchase an iPhone 4...in the US anyway. Shipping estimates have improved from three weeks to between five and seven business days, according to Apple's US online retail store. Improved shipping estimates usually indicate that Apple is catching up with consumer demand. The iPhone 4 has been in high demand since its release in June, selling well over 1.5 million devices in its first three days of availability. But supply is still short, especially with expansion into the overseas market. According to AppleInsider, mobile carrier China Unicom was only able to meet about half of the pre-orders placed by customers, with the rest having to wait until the end of October for their orders to be fulfilled. Similarly, the iPad suffered high shipping times upon its release in April, with things only improving in August when Apple's standard shipping time of 24hrs was reached. In the UK, the iPhone 4 shipping time is set at three weeks, while the iPhone 3GS can be shipped in one to two weeks, according to Apple's UK online retail store. Personally, I've currently got an iPhone 3G with the mobile carrier O2. The contract has expired, and I'm now running on their Simplicity tariff. I could upgrade to the iPhone 4 with O2 (they seem to get priority stock), however, Tesco is offering the most cost effective contract (for me anyway). Unfortunately, though, they never seem to have any stock. Tesco is offering a 16GB iPhone 4 on a 12 month contract at £35 a month. The upfront cost is £229, but the overall cost of ownership is £649. With this contract, you get 750 monthly minutes, a 1GB monthly data allowance, and unlimited texts. Alternatively, O2's £35 a month contract is for 18 months. The upfront cost is cheaper, at £179, but the overall cost of ownership comes in at a much steeper £809. Worse still, with this contract you only get 300 monthly minutes and a 500MB monthly data allowance. If I was to purchase a contract nearer the 600 minute a month point with O2 (which is more like what I need), I'd have to pay £40 a month on an 18 month contract with the overall cost of ownership being £839. For me, it's obvious to go with Tesco's iPhone 4 contract. Unfortunately, until stock supplies improve, I'm forced to hold onto my iPhone 3G. Engadget has done a fantastic comparison of all the price plans for the iPhone 4 in the UK. If you haven't got an iPhone 4 yet, and you live in the UK, it's well worth the read.
