iPhone 5 ship times improve to 2-4 business days

Apple's inventory of the iPhone 5 is improving with ship times jumping from one week to two to four days. These shortened delivery estimates were first spotted in Apple's Australia and New Zealand stores.

These are some of the shortest ship times for the handset since it launched in late September. According to Piper Jaffray analyst Gene Munster, the iPhone is also readily available in retail stores. This combination of improved online ship times and in-store availability bodes well for holiday sales of the handset.