Preorders for the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus officially opened at midnight this morning, but preorder pages from Apple and some of the phone's carriers weren't quite up to the challenge, CNET reported.
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According to the report, the preorder sites for Sprint, T-Mobile and Apple itself were experiencing issues for around two hours after the preorder gates were set to open. Verizon and AT&T midnight preorders were more successful, apart from minor issues for some users. All preorder sites seem to be live now.
Preorders are also available in-person at Apple retail stores starting this morning.
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Beyond a relatively short delay in preorders, though, Apple also seems to be running into trouble with supply of the larger iPhone 6 Plus. The CNET report notes that both Verizon and AT&T were showing shipping delays for preorders of the iPhone 6 Plus. Confirming the pattern, trying to preorder a standard iPhone 6 on Apple's ordering page shows that the phone is available for free shipping with delivery right on the September 19 release date. Preordering an iPhone 6 Plus, however, comes with notification of a shipping delay of a full three to four weeks.
This asymmetrical shipping date seems to confirm earlier rumors that the standard iPhone 6 was being shipped in higher quantities than the larger 6 Plus. Whether this is due to earlier rumors of production line problems for the 6 Plus or simply because Apple underestimated demand for the larger, more expensive model is unclear.
The iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus officially hit store shelves next week on September 19.