Want a Hot New Smartphone? Be Prepared to Wait

Consumers looking for the latest cutting-edge smartphones are going to have to be patient. Demand for the hottest new models is so high they are all are on backorder.

At the top of the list is the Apple iPhone 4, which debuted last month amid long lines at Apple and AT&T stores. At this point, AT&T is saying that orders placed today will ship in 7 to 14 business days.

Verizon's Android OS-based HTC Droid Incredible has been on the market since April, but it is still currently backordered until August 9.

And Sprint is currently sold out the HTC EVO 4G, and asks customers to keep checking its website to find out if the carrier has received a new shipment.

Surprising Demand
These are all high-end models that sell for $200 with a two-year contract, but consumers are still snapping them up faster than they can be produced, despite the ongoing recession.

And that is the real basis for the short supplies, according to an HTC spokesperson: companies like his weren't expecting demand for these expensive smartphones to be as high as it has turned out to be.

Hope On the Way?
A new group of high-end models from Samsung -- the Samsung Galaxy S series -- is about to be released by all of the top U.S. carriers. This might take some of the pressure off the currently-available ones.

In addition, Verizon is going to introduce the Motorola Droid X on Thursday, another cutting-edge smartphone running Google's Android OS.