The only store in New York City that carries them is the glass cube on Fifth Ave. If that store runs out, New Yorkers will have to drive to Syracuse, Atlantic City or out to the middle of Long Island. Either that or settle for one of the higher-priced 16GB models, which are still available in most Apple stores.

By Friday night, only 36 of Apple’s 197 U.S. retail outlets still had 8GB iPhones in stock, down from 46 on Thursday.

So what’s going on? There are several theories. One is, Apple has diverted supply to Best Buy, which started carrying the iPhone in nearly 1,000 stores on Sept. 7. Another is, that Apple is getting hit by a wave of first-time buyers, those most likely to be attracted by the $199 price point. A third theory — which may be wishful thinking — is that Apple has stopped production of the 8GB model in preparation for some kind of memory upgrade. 16GBs for the price of 8GB, perhaps?

You can check the supplies of iPhones at your local Apple store using the company’s availability widget after 9 p.m. the night before.

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Source: Fortune.com