Carriers Scramble to Push iPhone X Preorders Amid Reports of Limited Supplies

As reports continue on limited supplies of the iPhone X when it ships next week, carriers flooded the wires Tuesday with preorder pitches that begin Friday for Apple’s $1,000-and-up flagship smartphone due in stores Nov. 3. The Nikkei Asian Review Tuesday reported initial shipments of the iPhone X are expected to total 20 million units, half the planned amounts for the year. The lower shipment count is due to Apple’s “struggles to solve technical issues with components supporting the model's new face authentication feature,” said the report. Apple didn’t respond. Sprint hawked Tuesday a limited-time deal for the base 64 GB version, offering $350 in savings: a monthly bill of $22.22 over 18 months with trade-in and a new line activation for customers who opt for its Flex lease plan. The fine print at the Sprint website detailed the carrier's “best price guarantee" for the X: “Offer ends 11/30. Customer must register by 12/15." The price guarantee applies to "pre-order or in-stock Apple iPhone X 64GB new line activation and device pricing only.” The Sprint offer requires online registration and submission of a nationally advertised lower device price on the identical brand and model number currently available for sale at T-Mobile, Verizon or AT&T within 14 days of date of lease activation or preorder from Sprint, it said. Customers must remain active and in good standing for 60 days and they’ll receive a prepaid card for the difference within 15 days, it said. AT&T, meanwhile, announced it would begin taking preorders Friday, in a news release that linked to a page on its website for details on promotional offers and rate plans. A chat representative appeared immediately and when we asked about the iPhone X, she told us: “At the moment there are just rumors about it, I can understand your excitement. Im always excited when new devices and promos are launched. At this time there has been no formal announcement provided.” When we mentioned the news release, she directed us to the iPhone page cited there. AT&T’s offers for the iPhone X, as of Tuesday, were $33.34 over 30 months in a 0 percent financing deal or $999 up front. Verizon jumped on the iPhone opportunity Monday, announcing it will offer, for a limited time, up to $300 back on iPhone X, with device payment, when customers trade in select phones and sign up for Verizon’s Unlimited plan. The $300 trade-in-promo credit is applied over 24 months, it said. U.S. Cellular pushed Tuesday a limited-time offer for customers who buy an iPhone X with unlimited data, giving them device protection and AppleCare Services for 12 months.