Surprise: You Can Still Pre-Order iPhone 6 For Release Day
It's almost a geek tradition by now: Apple throws open the virtual doors for its online store on iPhone pre-order day, and within an impressively short amount of time all the release day stock is gone. Thing is, with two brand new iPhones in this generation, things have played out a little differently and, even if you didn't stay up all night to get your order in, you might still be able to snag the iPhone 6 of your dreams on the very first day it hits shelves.
Constraints have centered this year on the bigger of the two models, the iPhone 6 Plus, with its 5.5-inch screen. While it's $100 more than the 4.7-inch iPhone 6, it's nonetheless currently showing a 3-4 week shipping estimate from Apple's online store.
If you wanted the iPhone 6, however, you can still order one for any of the four main US carriers, and get it on September 19th. That's the same day that in-store sales begin.
It's a similar story in the UK, where unlocked handsets bought from Apple direct – not an option in the US as yet – are showing 3-4 weeks for the iPhone 6 Plus, but 7-10 days for the iPhone 6. Japanese supplies are also working out in a similar fashion.
Now, while some might suggest this means the iPhone 6 Plus is more popular than the iPhone 6, that's a conclusion too far. Without knowing how many units of each Apple had on-hand, it's impossible to say whether the iPhone 6 Plus has been the roaring success of the day, or simply that there were more iPhone 6 around to begin with.
Back in August, for instance, rumors out of the Apple supply chain suggested manufacturing the Full HD screen for the iPhone 6 was experiencing hiccups, with warnings that supplies may be shorter of the bigger model.
For now, if you're determined to have the larger iPhone 6 Plus on day one, it might be time to consider planning your camping trip outside of the nearest Apple Store. If you wanted its smaller sibling all along, however, hopefully you enjoyed your lie-in this morning.