Apple is shipping many iPhone X preorders sooner than expected (AAPL)

iPHone X

Many iPhone X preorders are now shipping sooner than expected.
The shipping date changes are a sign that Apple may be able to more quickly meet initial demand for the hotly-anticipated device.

Preorders for the iPhone X sold out within minutes on Thursday, pushing back shipping date estimates for the hotly-anticipated device.

Many who were able to quickly place a preorder Thursday didn't get the guarantee that their orders would ship by November 3, when the iPhone X is slated to go on sales in stores.

But Apple now appears able to meet more of the early demand for its flagship phone.

Shipping dates for a noticeable number of iPhone X preorders that initially were estimated to ship in mid-November have recently been updated to now ship by November 3, as noted by customers who shared their updated estimates from Apple on Reddit and other web forums.

The estimate changes seem to mostly apply to preorders that were originally quoted as having a ship date between November 10 and 17. On Saturday, Apple quoted new iPhone X orders as shipping in 5-6 weeks on its website.

Due to supply constraints, Apple is expected to only ship 2-3 million iPhone X preorders globally, making the device difficult to find through the holidays. KGI Securities recently cut its forecast for total fourth-quarter iPhone X shipments to 25-30 million units, down from 30-35 million units.

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