Apple Claims Record 4m iPhone 6 Pre-Orders

Apple has received a record number of pre-orders for the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus, both of which are set to be released in eight countries, including the UK, on Friday 19 September.

The Cupertino-based company says four million orders were placed within the first 24 hours with demand exceeding initial supply. It says a “significant amount” will be delivered on Friday and throughout the rest of September, but adds some will not get their new handset until October.

Additional stock will be available at Apple Stores from 08:00 on Friday, a relief to those who have been queuing up outside for some time now, and devices will also be available from authorised retailers and operators, including EE, O2, Vodafone and Three.

iPhone 6 pre-orders

“iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus are better in every way, and we are thrilled customers love them as much as we do,” says 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 company has also confirmed that both smartphones will be available in 20 additional territories from 26 September, including Ireland and the Isle of Man.

The four million pre-orders the company claims to have received is double the two million it received for the iPhone 5, which was double that of the iPhone 4S a year earlier. Apple did not accept pre-orders for the iPhone 5S last year and instead only entertained advance purchases of the cheaper iPhone 5C.

The 4.7-inch iPhone 6 and 5.5 inch iPhone 6 Plus were announced by the firm last week. Both feature Near Field Communication (NFC) technology, retina HD displays, a more powerful A8 processor and improved camera functionality, while they are both compatible with the Apple Watch which also made its debut in California.

What do you know about the iPhone 6, iPhone 6 Plus and Apple Watch?