(Credit: Screenshot by Lance Whitney/CNET)

iPhone 5 buyers aiming to order the phone online through Apple now face a wait time of only two to four days.

That’s a hefty improvement over the three to four weeks originally estimated when the phone was first available through preorders in September. Supply finally started to catch up with demand around mid-November, when the estimate fell to two to three weeks. Since then, the ship time has continued to fall.

Of course, iPhone 5 buyers not far from a physical Apple Store may prefer to shop in person.

Recent analyst surveys of several Apple Stores show no wait time, meaning consumers can simply walk in and walk out with a new iPhone . Third-party retailers also have a more plentiful supply of the new iPhone .

Demand is as strong as ever for the new phone, says Sterne Agee a… [Read more]