Telstra sells out of iPhone 5

Telstra has sold out of its pre-order iPhone 5 stock just hours after the device became available on Friday night.

The carrier was the third to announce plans and pre-orders for the new smartphone after Optus late on Friday.

Today it advised potential customers via its website it is now out of stock but did not confirm availability for a second batch.

Optus and Vodafone are also offering Apple’s new smartphone on a variety of plans.

An Optus spokesperson confirmed it still had stock of the new iPhone and was taking orders online.

Vodafone was not available for comment but is similarly taking pre-orders on its website.

Telstra' s plans are the most expensive, starting from $67 per month for the 16GB version, offering 1GB data, $600 value and unlimited text; to $130 per month for 3GB data and unlimited talk and SMS.

The 32GB iPhone 5 ranges from $71 to $132 per month, while the 64GB version is available from $77 to $137 per month. A full list of Telstra’s plans can be found on the telco’s website.

The 4G device sold out on pre-orders on Apple’s online store just one hour after it became available on Friday, smashing records set by both the iPhone 4S and before that, the iPhone 4.

The overwhelming demand forced Apple to push back its shipment date a week, from September 21 to September 28.

The iPhone 5 will be available from Apple’s retail outlets for $799 for the 16GB model, $899 for 32GB and $999 for the 64GB model.