Yesterday, we noted that Apple has begun allowing customers to purchase a new iPhone 5s through its online store and then pickup the product that day (or another day) at their local Apple Retail Store. This “Personal Pickup” option could have been the most efficient way to get a new iPhone from Apple, with online shipments reaching ship dates in October and lines at Apple Stores still going strong.
However, multiple readers have noticed that the in-store pickup option has disappeared from both Apple’s Online Store and its Apple Store mobile app. It is currently unclear as to why Apple pulled the functionality after just one day. Perhaps the option will appear and disappear based on current availability levels, but it is unlikely that supply of the iPhone 5s could have shifted enough between yesterday and today for the feature to be pulled for that reason.
The iPhone 5s, which has seen strong availability in Apple Stores, carrier stores, is still available for in-store pickup via Apple’s Online Store. Yesterday, Apple announced that both of the new iPhone sold 9 million units combined during the launch weekend.
