iPhone 5 pre-orders hit 2m

The Guardian

Apple unveiled the iPhone 5 at the beginning of September and will start
shipping the phone by the end of the month. Photograph: John G. Mabanglo/EPA

Apple says first-day orders were double the 1m taken for the iPhone 4S, but some consumers will have to wait until October to receive their handsets


More than 2m iPhone 5s were ordered in the first 24 hours the handset was on sale, Apple has said, although some customers will have to wait until October to get their hands on the phone.

The latest version of the US technology giant's handset, which is slimmer and larger than previous iPhones, is released on 21 September, and Apple has been taking pre-orders direct and via mobile phone operators around the world. It said first-day orders were more than double the 1m taken for the iPhone 4S and exceeded its initial supply of handsets.

"While the majority of pre-orders will be delivered to customers on 21 September, many are scheduled to be delivered in October," Apple said in a statement. Its website is advising that orders will be shipped in two to three weeks.

The handset retails at £529 for the 16GB version, £599 for the 32GB model and £699 for the 64GB version for those who want an unlocked handset. Mobile phone operators are offering 16GB handsets for free on tariffs starting at £46 a month.

In the US, prices start at $199 for a 16GB handset on a two-year contract. Purchases in the UK and US are limited to two handsets per customer.

Keen customers have already started queuing outside Apple stores in a bid to get their hands on the phone. Apple said handsets would be available at 356 stores in the US from 8am local time on 21 September.

A roll out to 22 other countries will begin a week later on 28 September.


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