Apple is offering gift cards in an attempt to appease disgruntled fans who waited in line to get the latest iPhones only to find out that most models have already sold out.
More specifically, the Jet Black iPhone 7 and all color options of the iPhone 7 Plus are sold out, severely limiting customers' options. To make up for this issue, Apple is handing out $100 gift cards to the first 10 to 15 customers waiting in line at one of its Apple Stores.
It's a long-standing tradition for diehard Apple fans to camp out in front of an Apple Store weeks before the iPhone launch just to be among the first to grab the latest smartphone. This year is no different and many people have been standing in line for a good while, waiting for the new iPhone 7 series to go on sale on Friday.
Those who didn't manage to secure an iPhone 7 Plus or a Jet Black iPhone 7 with a preorder, however, might go home empty handed if they don't change their choice and go for one of the few remaining options that are still available.
As a reminder, the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus went up for preorder on Sept. 9 and have been in high demand ever since. Those who didn't preorder will be able to get the latest iPhone 7 on Friday, when it goes on sale, but only in Silver, Gold, Rose Gold and the new Matte Black, which replaces the previous Space Grey avatar.
It remains unclear just when Apple will replenish its stocks and start selling the iPhone 7 Plus and the Jet Black iPhone 7.
As Mashable reports, Apple is trying to make up for this inconvenience by handing out $100 gift cards to a few people who have been waiting outside of its Fifth Avenue Apple Store in New York.
An 18-year-old girl, for instance, told the publication that she'd been camping outside the Apple Store for a week and a half before finding out that the Jet Black models were sold out and, had she known before, she would likely not have done it.
"They gave us a $100 gift card to make it up, but that still doesn't make anything up," the girl complained.
Nevertheless, she will get the Matte Black iPhone 7 just so all that time spent in line will not go to waste.
Others in line have similar stories, and they have all been patiently waiting in line for a good while now. Some of those who wanted the iPhone 7 Plus will eventually settle for the iPhone 7, while others who wanted the iPhone 7 anyway will not be affected by this issue if they were shooting for the other color options aside from Jet Black.
One of the people who confirmed that Apple offered $100 gift cards to the first 10 - 15 people in line says he's been camped out for the past three weeks, but this news of some models being sold out does not affect him since he'd already preordered the Rose Gold and Gold iPhone 7 with 256 GB of storage on board.
Others were not so lucky, however, and angry Apple fans are even suing the company over how it handled the iPhone 7 preorders and availability.
