Apple on Friday revealed that pre-orders for the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus have set a new record. The admission is an indicator that consumer demand for a larger-screen iPhone is indeed real.
The Cupertino-based company sold more than nine million handsets during last year's opening weekend for the iPhone 5s and 5c and if pre-orders are any indication, they'll likely eclipse that number - perhaps by a significant margin - with this year's offering.
Or in other words, Apple better be prepared to back up the Brinks truck next weekend because they'll be generating an enormous amount of money.
The new handsets went up for pre-order at 12:01 am this morning but the sheer amount of traffic to Apple.com meant that many were unable to place an order. Instead, shoppers were met with a message that read, "We'll be back. We're busy updating the Apple Store for you and will be back soon."
The site remained offline for nearly two and a half hours which prompted many to take to Twitter to vent their frustrations. Those trying to order through their wireless carrier experienced similar server overload issues as well.
As of writing, estimated ship delays on Apple.com for the iPhone 6 Plus, for example, are listed at 3-4 weeks while the soonest AT&T could get you the phone would be sometime between November 9 through November 27.
At this point, the best way to try and snag an iPhone on launch day would be to check your local Apple Store or a retailer like Best Buy, Target or Wal-Mart.