Apple Sells 4M iPhones In 24 HoursApple Sells 4M iPhones In 24 Hours

Apple's Next Chapter: 10 Key Issues

Apple said strong demand for its new iPhones has exceeded its initial supply of the devices. Apple began accepting preorders for the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus in the wee hours of the morning on Friday. More than 4 million people placed orders during the first 24 hours the iPhone was available, taking down Apple's website for several hours. Apple didn't reveal the total number of preorders. The iPhone 6 and 6 Plus will first be available in the US, Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Japan, Puerto Rico, Singapore, and the UK.

Once Apple's website recovered from the surge of orders Friday morning, delivery dates quickly slipped. Apple said on Monday a good chunk of those who preordered an iPhone will receive their devices on Sept. 19 as promised, but many won't see their new precious arrive until October. New orders for the iPhone 6 placed Monday on Apple's website have scheduled shipping times of seven to ten business days. New orders for the iPhone 6 Plus have scheduled shipping times of three to four weeks.

Don't like waiting? You can brave the lines at Apple Stores this Friday, which open at 8 a.m. local time. Apple said, "Customers are encouraged to arrive early," if they want to get a phone on Friday. In other words, feel free to get out of bed at 3 a.m. and head to your local Apple Store. Both models will also be available on Friday from AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile, Verizon Wireless, additional carriers, and other retailers, such as Best Buy, RadioShack, and Target.

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"iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus are better in every way, and we are thrilled customers love them as much as we do," said Tim Cook, Apple’s CEO. "Pre-orders for iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus set a new record for Apple, and we can’t wait to get our best iPhones yet into the hands of customers starting this Friday."

The iPhone 6 and 6 Plus are the first to offer truly large screens. The 6 has a 4.7-inch display and the 6 Plus has a tablet-esque 5.5-inch display. Both phones make significant improvements to the camera; include Apple's A8 64-bit processor with M8 motion coprocessor; add Category 6 LTE with VoLTE; and offer storage capacities up to 128 GB.

Friday's launch may be limited to just 10 markets, but Apple plans to expand availability quickly. The devices will go on sale in more than 20 additional countries beginning Friday, Sept. 26. Some of the new markets include Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, Ireland, Italy, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Portugal, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, Turkey, and United Arab Emirates.

Pricing for the iPhone 6 starts at $199 with a new contract or $649 at full retail. Pricing for the iPhone 6 Plus starts at $299 with a new contract or $749 at full retail. Wireless network operators also offer a wide range of financing and installment options.

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