Preorders for Apple's two new smartphones
were slated to begin online at 12:01 a.m. PT on
Saturday, but the Apple Store online wouldn't
load for some users for nearly an hour. The
company's mobile app did work, however. Apple iPhone 6S and 6S Plus preorders kicked off Saturday
morning with a few glitches that have become typical of the
company's product launches.
Apple had said preorders for its new device could begin as
soon as a minute past midnight, PT. But many avenues for
preordering the company's newest devices -- including
Apple's online store -- were unavailable for some users for
nearly an hour after preorders were slated to begin. The
issues mirrored past iPhone launches, including last year
when eager shoppers couldn't access the store for about
two hours.
Apple didn't immediately respond to a request for comment.
The Cupertino, California, company on Wednesday
announced the iPhone 6S and 6S Plus, its newest
smartphones, featuring faster chips, better cameras and
new screen technology. The device starts at $199 under a
two-year contract, and will hit stores September 25.
The new devices largely look identical to last year's iPhone
6 and 6 Plus but sport stronger aluminum bodies, faster
processors and better glass displays. The iPhone 6S and 6S
Plus come in a new rose-gold option and incorporate 3D
Touch to recognize different levels of pressure on the
touchscreen. They also have new camera tech, including a
better front-facing camera for selfies and a "Live Photos"
feature that captures three seconds of motion before and
after a picture is taken to display a sort of short video of the
photo.
Having a successful iPhone launch is key to Apple's
continued success. The company's iPad business continues
to struggle, and its Apple Watch hasn't yet become a major
money maker. Apple now generates more than two-thirds of
its revenue from its smartphone, which mean it's vital to get
customers interested in its newest iPhones.
The iPhone 6S has a high bar to cross for success. The
iPhone 6, released in 2014, has become Apple's best-selling
device ever, impressing not only investors on Wall Street
but customers who the company says are switching to its
devices from competitors. Demand for the iPhone 6 and
iPhone 6 Plus was high when preorders began on
September 12, 2014. Within hours, all iPhone 6 Plus models
were on a three- to four-week delivery delay, while most
iPhone 6 models were pushed back to seven to 10 days.
Apple later announced record preorders of more than 4
million iPhones in the first 24 hours -- double the number of
iPhone 5 units it had sold in the first 24 hours of preorders
two years before.
Demand for the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus was so high
when preorders began that Apple's online store and various
carriers couldn't keep up. Outages plagued the Apple Store
site for more than two hours after the iPhones became
available for presale at midnight PT. Despite the outages,
customers scooped up the devices at a rapid clip. And
thousands of people lined up at Apple and carrier stores to
buy the device a week after preorders began.
This time around, the Apple Store website again wouldn't
load for many users, but others accessing the store through
Apple's app had no problems. The major wireless carrier
sites also had some issues. In typical Apple fashion, some
models were backordered within minutes of the start of
preorders. The rose gold iPhone 6S Plus appeared to be in
particularly short supply.
Walter Piecyk, a technology analyst with BTIG, tweeted
about 20 minutes after preorders began that AT&T's site
already showed October shipping times, but the Apple Store
app still had launch-day deliveries available for some
devices.
There could be a new wrinkle for customers this year,
though. Apple last month redesigned its website to remove
the standalone "Store" tab, instead integrating the option to
buy its devices on the product information pages. At the
time, Apple said in a statement that it "redesigned
Apple.com knowing that our customers want to explore,
research and shop in one place." As such, the company
said it believed this new approach was "improved."
were slated to begin online at 12:01 a.m. PT on
Saturday, but the Apple Store online wouldn't
load for some users for nearly an hour. The
company's mobile app did work, however. Apple iPhone 6S and 6S Plus preorders kicked off Saturday
morning with a few glitches that have become typical of the
company's product launches.
Apple had said preorders for its new device could begin as
soon as a minute past midnight, PT. But many avenues for
preordering the company's newest devices -- including
Apple's online store -- were unavailable for some users for
nearly an hour after preorders were slated to begin. The
issues mirrored past iPhone launches, including last year
when eager shoppers couldn't access the store for about
two hours.
Apple didn't immediately respond to a request for comment.
The Cupertino, California, company on Wednesday
announced the iPhone 6S and 6S Plus, its newest
smartphones, featuring faster chips, better cameras and
new screen technology. The device starts at $199 under a
two-year contract, and will hit stores September 25.
The new devices largely look identical to last year's iPhone
6 and 6 Plus but sport stronger aluminum bodies, faster
processors and better glass displays. The iPhone 6S and 6S
Plus come in a new rose-gold option and incorporate 3D
Touch to recognize different levels of pressure on the
touchscreen. They also have new camera tech, including a
better front-facing camera for selfies and a "Live Photos"
feature that captures three seconds of motion before and
after a picture is taken to display a sort of short video of the
photo.
Having a successful iPhone launch is key to Apple's
continued success. The company's iPad business continues
to struggle, and its Apple Watch hasn't yet become a major
money maker. Apple now generates more than two-thirds of
its revenue from its smartphone, which mean it's vital to get
customers interested in its newest iPhones.
The iPhone 6S has a high bar to cross for success. The
iPhone 6, released in 2014, has become Apple's best-selling
device ever, impressing not only investors on Wall Street
but customers who the company says are switching to its
devices from competitors. Demand for the iPhone 6 and
iPhone 6 Plus was high when preorders began on
September 12, 2014. Within hours, all iPhone 6 Plus models
were on a three- to four-week delivery delay, while most
iPhone 6 models were pushed back to seven to 10 days.
Apple later announced record preorders of more than 4
million iPhones in the first 24 hours -- double the number of
iPhone 5 units it had sold in the first 24 hours of preorders
two years before.
Demand for the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus was so high
when preorders began that Apple's online store and various
carriers couldn't keep up. Outages plagued the Apple Store
site for more than two hours after the iPhones became
available for presale at midnight PT. Despite the outages,
customers scooped up the devices at a rapid clip. And
thousands of people lined up at Apple and carrier stores to
buy the device a week after preorders began.
This time around, the Apple Store website again wouldn't
load for many users, but others accessing the store through
Apple's app had no problems. The major wireless carrier
sites also had some issues. In typical Apple fashion, some
models were backordered within minutes of the start of
preorders. The rose gold iPhone 6S Plus appeared to be in
particularly short supply.
Walter Piecyk, a technology analyst with BTIG, tweeted
about 20 minutes after preorders began that AT&T's site
already showed October shipping times, but the Apple Store
app still had launch-day deliveries available for some
devices.
There could be a new wrinkle for customers this year,
though. Apple last month redesigned its website to remove
the standalone "Store" tab, instead integrating the option to
buy its devices on the product information pages. At the
time, Apple said in a statement that it "redesigned
Apple.com knowing that our customers want to explore,
research and shop in one place." As such, the company
said it believed this new approach was "improved."
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