iPhone SE shipments might be delayed

Even in normal circumstances, Apple’s new iPhones don’t always ship on time. So it’s no surprise that during the coronavirus pandemic there might be minor delays with the new iPhone SE.

That’s according to Apple’s website, anyway. The iPhone SE store page is giving arrival dates in early May for pre-orders of any new iPhone SE, which officially launches on April 24. As spotted by 9to5Mac, trying to order the phone in any storage size and color results in estimated ship dates of May 4 at the earliest, and that’s just for expedited shipping. The standard, free shipping model delivers no earlier than May 6.

Obviously that’s not a life-shattering delay by any means. It’s also not horribly unusual; some variants of the iPhone 11 were delayed in a similar manner last year, likely due to high demand. Apple’s site doesn’t list a reason for the later shipping dates, but it only takes one glance at the state of the world to figure out why things might not work the way they’re supposed to right now.

Again, it looks like a delay of about two weeks. That’s tolerable. We’d understand if you were bothered by this due to excitement for the iPhone SE, though. It starts at $399 and compares pretty favorably to more expensive options like the iPhone 11 and XR. 

Buy one and you’re getting a cheap iPhone with the same processor and some of the same bells and whistles as other more expensive models. Just don’t be shocked if you have to wait a bit.