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iPhone 5 Pre-Orders Sell Out in An Hour

After opening up pre-orders for the iPhone 5 on Friday, Apple appeared to have sold out of its initial inventory in just one hour.

September 14, 2012

After opening up pre-orders for the iPhone 5 early Friday morning, Apple appeared to have sold out of its initial inventory in just one hour.

The Cupertino, Calif. tech giant began accepting pre-orders for the iPhone 5 on its website shortly after midnight on Friday. An hour after the madness began, the company has sold out of its initial pre-order stock, and shipping times were pushed back from the expected launch day on Sept. 21.

Pre-orders placed now through the U.S. online Apple Store are scheduled to ship in two weeks.

Some of those who tried to pre-order the device were left disappointed. The massive amount of people vying for the iPhone 5 had apparently overwhelmed the store's servers, causing some visitors to be met with a "We'll be back" notice.

Customers can try pre-ordering the phone through their wireless carrier. As of early this morning, AT&T, Verizon, and Sprint were listing Sept. 21 as the delivery date for iPhone 5 pre orders, according to MacRumors. Those dates may not, however, immediately reflect available stock, the site pointed out.

Alongside the carriers and Apple itself, retailer Walmart is also accepting pre-orders for the latest iPhone, and you might be able to get the best deal there. Walmart is offering a $10 discount for the iPhone 5, selling the 16GB version for $189.97, instead of the usual $199 price tag.

Those who really want an iPhone 5 on Sept. 21 can, of course, go to a physical Apple store and brave the line. But you better get ready to camp out. Apple launches are known to draw long lines, in some cases stretching around city blocks, as hordes of eager Apple fans look to be one of the first to emerge from an Apple Store with the latest iPhone or iPad.

 For more, check out PCMag's hands on with the iPhone 5 and the slideshow below.