Eager Apple Fans Pre-Order iPhone 6 in Record Numbers

The iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus haven't even hit store shelves yet, but eager Apple aficionados have already turned out in droves to reserve the new handset.

Apple on Friday began accepting pre-orders for the phones, and fans around the world reserved more than 4 million devices in the first 24 hours, the Cupertino tech giant announced Monday.

"Pre-orders for iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus set a new record for Apple, and we can't wait to get our best iPhones yet into the hands of customers starting this Friday," Apple CEO Tim Cook said in a statement.

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Demand for the new iPhones already exceeds Apple's initial pre-order supply, meaning only the fastest to successfully pre-order will receive their new iPhone 6 or 6 Plus this Friday while others will get it later this month or in October. Apple said that additional iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus handsets will be available to walk-in customers at its retail stores this Friday at 8 a.m.

But if history is any indication, the lines will be long so those hoping to get their hands on an iPhone 6 or 6 Plus should arrive early or order online for in-store pick up or receive an estimated delivery date, Apple said. The phones will also be available Friday from AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile, and Verizon. To find out which phone plan is best for you, check out the video below.

The iPhone 6 and 6 Plus go on sale this Friday in the U.S., Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Japan, Puerto Rico, Singapore, and the U.K. A week later they'll go on sales in 20 more countries, including Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, Ireland, Isle of Man, Italy, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Portugal, Qatar, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, Turkey, and United Arab Emirates.

"iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus are better in every way, and we are thrilled customers love them as much as we do," Cook said.

Last year, Apple took pre-orders for its iPhone 5c but not the 5s; the company announced that it sold 9 million devices in their first weekend on the market. The year before, Apple secured 2 million iPhone 5 pre-orders in the first 24 hours and sold 5 million in its first three days on the market. With the iPhone 4s, it sold 4 million smartphones in its first three days.

For more, check out our Hands On With the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus.

About Our Expert

Angela Moscaritolo

Managing Editor, Consumer Electronics

My Experience

I'm PCMag's managing editor for consumer electronics, overseeing an experienced team of analysts covering smart home, home entertainment, wearables, fitness and health tech, and various other product categories. I have been with PCMag for more than 10 years, and in that time have written more than 6,000 articles and reviews for the site. I previously served as an analyst focused on smart home and wearable devices, and before that I was a reporter covering consumer tech news. I'm also a yoga instructor, and have been actively teaching group and private classes for nearly a decade.

Prior to joining PCMag, I was a reporter for SC Magazine, focusing on hackers and computer security. I earned a BS in journalism from West Virginia University, and started my career writing for newspapers in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia.

The Technology I Use

My little Florida beach bungalow is brimming with smart home tech. I have a smart speaker or display in every room, allowing me to control other connected devices by voice. The Nest Hub on my bedside table lets me set wake-up alarms, control my smart light bulbs, and set the temperature on my smart thermostat. I use the Amazon Echo Show 8 on my kitchen counter to browse recipes, reorder protein powder, check the weather, and watch the news while I do dishes.

Because I suffer from allergies, air purifiers are essential. My favorite model is the Dyson Purifier Cool TP07, which doubles as a fan and continuously sends indoor pollution data to its companion mobile app.

My pitbull Bradley sheds, so a good robot vacuum is a must. I currently use a premium Ecovacs Deebot that can both vacuum and mop, empty its own dustbin, and wash its own mop cloth.

For fitness, I like to mix up my routine with cycling, indoor rowing, running, and strength training in addition to yoga. I take classes on the Tonal 2 smart strength training machine, I row indoors on an Aviron machine, and track my beach runs with an Apple Watch while listening to music on my Apple AirPods Pro. On the weekends, I love riding e-bikes like the rugged, beach-friendly Aventon Aventure for fun and fitness.

My job involves a lot of virtual meetings, so a quality webcam, microphone, and ring light are important. I use the Jabra PanaCast 20 webcam, the Elgato Wave: 3 microphone, and a Yesker tripod ring light.

As for my preferred phone platform, I'm an iPhone person, but I've also extensively used Android for product testing.

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