Chinese iPhone 13 buyers decry long delays on social media as supply shortages hit Apple amid robust demand
- Chinese microblogging site Weibo is flooded with complaints about long wait times for the iPhone 13 amid delays Apple is facing in its supply chain
- Analysts see this as a sign of Apple’s continued popularity in the world’s second-largest economy, but supply shortages remain a drag on sales
Mei, who works in e-commerce in southeastern Fujian province, turned to social media as an outlet for her frustration. “Please start shipping today! It’s been a whole month, and I’m losing my patience,” she posted to Weibo on Monday, five days before Apple’s promised delivery date.
Since launching last month, the iPhone 13 has proven immensely popular in China. An order for the 256-gigabyte iPhone 13 Pro in Sierra Blue, for example, will currently take 37 to 44 days to ship to China’s southern tech hub of Shenzhen, according to Apple’s website.
In addition to venting on social media, anxious consumers like Mei are using Weibo to share the latest developments of their orders. Mei said she routinely checks the iPhone 13 Pro ‘super topic’, a discussion page set up by users on the microblogging site, to see if other users have received their phones yet or if there have been any problems after delivery.