iPhone 7 Jet Black Delay: Apple Phones Sold Out During Preorder With Some Shipments As Late As November

Apple announced its new generation of iPhones on Wednesday during an event in San Francisco. The iphone 7 and 7 Plus—available in five colors: gold, rose gold, silver, black and jet black—will launch on Sept. 16 with preorders beginning on Sept. 9. Various models of the new Apple smartphones in jet black reportedly sold out within minutes, according to users on Reddit, leaving their availability up in the air.

Neither the jet black iPhone 7 (4.7-inch display) nor the jet black iPhone 7 Plus (5.5-inch display) are available for purchase in the original shipping date—Sept. 16. While certain models (128 GB and 256 GB, to be exact) of the iPhone 7 is available in "3-4 weeks” at the time of publication, the iPhone 7 Plus is only available in jet black later this year in November. Users who want to get their hands on the device sooner may have better luck standing in line at an Apple store on launch day.

iPhone 7 (jet black)

• 32 GB—no information available
• 64 GB—no information available
• 128 GB—available in 3-4 weeks (Verizon, AT&T, Sprint and T-Mobile)
• 256 GB—available in 3-4 weeks (Verizon, AT&T, Sprint and T-Mobile)

iPhone 7 Plus (jet black)

• 32 GB—no information available
• 64 GB—no information available
• 128 GB—available in November (Verizon, AT&T, Sprint and T-Mobile)
• 256 GB—available in November (Verizon, AT&T, Sprint and T-Mobile)

In comparison, the regular black device—which is more matte than the shiny jet black gadget—has a quicker delivery timeline. Depending on the capacity and carrier, at the time of publication the black iPhone 7 is available on the original delivery date while the black iPhone 7 Plus ships as early as 2-3 weeks.

iPhone 7 (black)

• 32 GB—available Sept. 16 (Verizon); Sep 26 - Sep 28 (AT&T and Sprint); 2-3 weeks (T-Mobile)
• 128 GB—available Sept. 16 (Verizon, AT&T, and Sprint); 2-3 weeks (T-Mobile)
• 256 GB—available Sept. 16 (Verizon, AT&T, and Sprint); 2-3 weeks (T-Mobile)

iPhone 7 Plus (black)

• 32 GB—available in 2-3 weeks (Verizon, AT&T, Sprint and T-Mobile)
• 64 GB—no information available
• 128 GB—available in 2-3 weeks (Verizon, AT&T, Sprint and T-Mobile)
• 256 GB—available in 2-3 weeks (Verizon, AT&T, and T-Mobile); Sep 27 - Sep 29 (Sprint)

The source of the delay for the jet black iPhone 7s is unclear but not unheard of when it comes to Apple launching new devices. In this particular case, it could be Apple underestimated the demand or the novelty of the glossy black smartphone could have consumers buying the new color despite the fact that the jet black device may be vulnerable to scratches.

According to Apple's frequently asked questions, the phone is susceptible to knicks. “The high-gloss finish of the jet black iPhone 7 is achieved through a precision nine-step anodisation and polishing process,” writes Apple . “Its surface is equally as hard as other anodised Apple products; however, its high shine may show fine microabrasions with use.”

The new generation of iPhones come with a handful of changes including a redesigned home button, no headphone jack, and the device is splash and waterproof. The phone also boasts a dual lens camera—one wide angle lens and a second telephoto lens; both 12MP.

“iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus dramatically improve every aspect of the iPhone experience, reaching a new level of innovation and precision to make this the best iPhone we have ever made,” said Philip Schiller, Apple’s senior vice president of Worldwide Marketing. “The completely redesigned cameras shoot incredible photos and videos day or night, the A10 Fusion chip is the most powerful chip on any smartphone while delivering the best battery life ever in an iPhone, and an entirely new stereo speaker system provides twice the sound, all within the first water and dust resistant iPhone.”