– “Grotesk” some phones ready for launch.

On Wednesday night, iPhone and other iOS device users were given the opportunity to upgrade to iOS 7, which is in many ways one of the most significant changes to the new iPhone 5S which is officially launched on Friday, among other places, in the United States.

Also read: iOS 7 is now launched in Norway

But there remains a very unresolved question as to when Norwegian users will be able to get their hands on the new phone. When Apple introduced the new phone, many were probably surprised that Norway was not among the countries that were supposed to get access to it first. Thanks to Norwegians’ superior purchasing power and fondness for the iPhone, the phones have been at the top of bestseller lists for a long, long time.

The United States, Australia, Canada, France, Hong Kong, Japan, China, Puerto Rico, Singapore, the United Kingdom and Germany are the countries that will have access to the phone on Friday, while the rest of the world will get it during the year. .

Nobody knows (you mean?) when Norway will get it

No one can really answer what exactly this means, as Apple remains tight-lipped about this type of information. It’s unclear if this means the phone will be rolling out to multiple countries over the next few months, or if everyone will have access to it just before the Christmas sales.

Side3 naturally asked Apple about this, but they have no information to provide.

This is very bad news for Norwegians who want access to much better 4G coverage, better security solutions and a significantly faster processor.

iOS7 is what you get so far

However, there are many indications that iOS7 on current iPhone editions is the closest to the iPhone 5S in some time.

A number of foreign reports indicate that Apple has far lower phone production than many had hoped.

According to All Things Digital, several American operators report having received delivery “grotesquely” low volumes with the new model going on sale on Friday. The phone is not available for pre-sale, and the reason must be that it was necessary to promote the few units available in nearby stores.

– Camera issues

There’s more speculation about the nature of the problem, but the normally well-informed Digitimes says it’s the new lens elements for the camera – which should make the camera more sensitive to light – that have been more difficult to produce than expected.

Up to 80% of the phones stores received before launch would be the colorful and cheap 5C variant, effectively just a plastic version of today’s iPhone 5. However, some report that this phone will likely reduce demand for the higher-end model, and thus lower availability will become less of an issue than it would otherwise be.

Either way, the reports will likely create long lines outside Apple stores on Friday, with desperate Apple enthusiasts trying to get their hands on the new phone.

Do not hold your breath

At the same time, this is bad news for Norwegian customers. If production is too low and a delay is created in large markets like the United States, England and Germany, Apple will be in no hurry to launch the phone in new markets.

Apple’s Norwegian representative promised to return with information as soon as more is known about the future prospects. So far, the phone hasn’t rang.

PS! While the iPhone 5C won’t have the same production challenges as the higher-end model, there’s no reason to believe the models won’t launch at the same time.

This case was first published on 09/19, 2013.