This is all supply, not demand. I'm sure demand is huge (it sure sounds like it), but there just aren't very many available. The store where I was this morning had literally ten units available in gold, and that was it. They had hundreds of the others. I've been hearing the same sort of thing from all over. Even if gold was half as popular as the other two 5S choices, it still would have sold out instantaneously.
I'm quite sure they manufactured fewer gold iPhones. It's a win-win. They get to test out the market for a new color before making a ton of them, and this now helps to create the perception of exclusivity around the phone.
This is really interesting to me. I was actually asking a lot of my friends which colour they'd buy. No one admitted they'd buy the gold one but I believed most people would buy it because iPhone is status - just like why the Prius had so much success because it stood out and solar panels are installed so other people can see them, not for optimal sunlight.
The gold color seems unreasonably ostentatious, I mean, how many times do you see a car painted a golden color? Not often, it's too far out. People would be more embarrassed having a golden-plated car than feel good about it as if it's signaling wealth.
So, I expect the demand for golden iPhones to be high only in very specific subsets of people, not among normal people trying to signal a high status. People also want to signal class in addition to wealth.
Wasn't gold originally supposed to be called "champagne" or was that media speculation on a different hue? A champagne color is definitely more muted than straight up "gold".
It was probably media speculation. Since "Champagne" is well-known to be trademarked (only sparkling wine made in the Champagne region can technically be called Champagne), Apple likely never intended to call the gold version a champagne color. I never saw any leaked material from Apple referring to it as such, at least. It seems like the media settled on calling it champagne and the Champagne gatekeepers preemptively made noise about it[1], thus adding fuel to the fire.
Why would you compare a phone to a car? (Champagne cars are pretty prevalent, btw.)
How about comparing it to a personal item people keep on them, like a pocket watch, watch, or glasses frame? Gold & silver are essentially neutral when it comes to "personal metal items".
How dare Apple give people the option of owning a color they want!
It's the only way to easily differentiate the 5s from the 5 at a glance. A lot of people want others to know they have the new one, no matter how tacky it makes them look.
I had the golden n64 controller that came with the gold Ocarina of Time cartridge. That was probably the last time I felt special because of a paint job. This is just people wanting to show they have the new and not the old like others have said.
The location I was at (a Verizon store) didn't even have any in gold available.
I just picked up my 5s (silver/white) and it's incredible. My wife has the 5, and the 5s is surprisingly better. I stopped by about 30min before the store opened and there were only about 20 people in line, so figured why not and just caught up on email while I waited, it went pretty fast. The Apple stores are all slammed, but the other retailers aren't too bad.
On the online store the gold ones are the only ones showing that they're now shipping in October rather than 7-10 days. I ordered my space gray one last night and got 1-3 days.
5s gold: $786 (just one), every other one is above $914
5s silver: $816 (just one), every other one is above $915
5s grey: $832 (just one), every other one is above $867
