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Some iPhone 5 buyers no longer face shipping delays online

For the first time since launch, Apple is listing the iPhone 5 as "in stock" through its online store in some countries.

Josh Lowensohn Former Senior Writer
Josh Lowensohn joined CNET in 2006 and now covers Apple. Before that, Josh wrote about everything from new Web start-ups, to remote-controlled robots that watch your house. Prior to joining CNET, Josh covered breaking video game news, as well as reviewing game software. His current console favorite is the Xbox 360.
Josh Lowensohn
The iPhone 5.
The iPhone 5. Apple

Seventy-seven days after putting the iPhone 5 on sale, there's no longer a wait to buy one from Apple in some countries.

Today the company began showing online iPhone 5 shoppers a notice that the gadget was "in stock" in a handful of its online stores, including the U.S. and Canada. That's versus the previous estimate of two to four business days, notes MacRumors.

It's the shortest estimated wait time for the phone, which launched in the U.S. and eight other countries on September 21. Quickly after the device went on sale, wait times for new orders of the phone stretched to three to four weeks, but have since been on the decline.

Buyers of the unlocked version, which went on sale last week, face a delay of one to three business days.

The change comes just a day after Apple launched the iPhone 5 in South Korea. Earlier this week, the company said it planned to bring the device to an additional 50 countries before the end of the month, including Brazil and Russia.

Watch this: iPhone 5: Hands-on at CNET