iPhone 3GS Suffers From Shortages And Overheating

The new iPhone is hot, literally and metaphorically - stocks are low, but there are reports of the phone overheating.

The new iPhone 3GS is definitely hot. It’s so popular that stocks are low all over the country, and it’s completely sold out in some areas. The 16GB model in particular is suffering from limited availability, although Apple claims the 8GB version is in all stores.

On its site, the Apple Retail Store noted:

“Shipments of iPhone 3GS arrive most days and availability is updated nightly. Return after 9pm to check iPhone 3GS availability at your local Apple Retail Store.”

Meanwhile, as a way to help customers see if the model they want is stocked locally, Apple has put up a Web tool showing which Apple stores have which models, and updating hourly. It’s the second time the company has used this kind of tool to show iPhone availability.

However, although they might be vanishing rapidly out of the stores, all does not seem to be well with the new iPhone. Several reports, including one from the French tech blog Nowhere Else have reported the handsets overheating, particularly those running the iPhone 3.0 OS.

There has been no word from Apple on the matter.