Don't walk into an Apple Store expecting to leave with an iPhone 4S in your hands, unless you've made an online reservation. Apple on Monday changed its "how to buy" page to note that you must reserve a phone on the Apple site first if you plan to buy one in an Apple Store in the U.S. or Canada.
From the page, you can either order the fifth-gen smartphone online or make an appointment to pick it up in an Apple Store.
The page reads: "iPhone 4S is available in store by reservation only. Reserve yours after 9pm tonight for pickup tomorrow. When you come in, you'll choose a carrier and a plan, and we'll get your iPhone up and running before you leave the store."
Apple on Monday announced that it has sold more than 4 million units of the iPhone 4S in the first weekend of availability. That's more than double the 1.7 million in sales the iPhone 4 did in its first three days of availability in 2010. It's also a huge jump from the "more than a million" iPhone 3GS's sold on its opening weekend in 2009.
The iPhone 4S isn't even completely rolled out yet. Last Friday, the phone launched in seven countries including the U.S., the U.K., Australia, Canada, France, Germany, and Japan. Apple said it will be available in 22 more countries by the end of the October.
Release dates have yet to be set for certain key markets, such as China, where the iPhone 4S is reportedly selling for $2,000 on the grey market. China is the fastest-growing market for the iPhone, so Apple will likely see another jump in sales when it launches the device there.
For more on the iPhone 4S, see PCMag's review and unboxing.