Apple Online Store Goes Down Ahead of iPhone 12 Apple Event

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Apple's online store is down in anticipation of its "Hi, Speed" event later on Tuesday, suggesting at least some products may be available to pre-order or order immediately after the event.

apple store down
The placeholder for the U.S. online store says "We're making updates to the Apple store. Check back soon."

Apple's "Hi, Speed" event will be a virtual media event, where the company is expected to take the wraps off its flagship iPhone 12 lineup, a smaller, more affordable HomePod, and potentially other products.

We've heard conflicting rumors about when Apple's new ‌iPhone‌ models will be available to order, but Apple is expected to stagger the launches this year, and we're not expecting ‌iPhone‌ pre-orders to open immediately.

Chinese leaker Kang, who has provided accurate information in the past, claims pre-orders for the 6.1-inch ‌‌iPhone‌ 12‌ and ‌‌iPhone‌ 12‌ Pro models could begin this coming Friday, October 16, with the first ‌‌iPhone‌ 12‌ shipments and an official launch on Friday, October 23.

Preorders for the "‌‌iPhone‌ 12‌ mini" meanwhile are said to commence on Friday, November 6, with the device launching on Friday, November 13 – the same day that pre-orders for the ‌‌iPhone‌ 12‌ Pro Max will allegedly commence. Apple's largest ever handset would then launch one week later on Friday, November 20.

With other rumored products also said to be in the wings, including a "HomePod mini," Apple could well be setting up its store to accept pre-orders. On the other hand, it may simply be adding promotional pages in advance of later product pre-order dates.

Either way, we'll know for sure soon. Apple's media event kicks off at 10:00 a.m. Pacific Time, and you can tune in on Apple's event page, on Apple's YouTube channel, or through the TV app on Apple's various platforms. Stay up to date on all the latest news and developments right here on MacRumors!

🔥 Visit our Live Coverage of the Apple Event

Tag: October 2020 Event

Top Rated Comments

Justanotherfanboy Avatar
Justanotherfanboy
46 months ago

And for those who think it makes things 'more exciting' ... all I can say is grow up.
Note to self:

do NOT get this grumpy & mean, when/if I do grow up
Score: 19 Votes (Like | Disagree)
ohbrilliance Avatar
ohbrilliance
46 months ago
I remember the good old days when the We’ll Be Back Soon was met with comments like “it’s happening!”. I don’t know about you but I’m here to try and enjoy the news. If it bothers you so much then why are you even here?
Score: 13 Votes (Like | Disagree)
mthomas184 Avatar
mthomas184
46 months ago
Man, it cracks me up watching everyone whine when Apple does this. Like they planned on going to the store and buying something right now. :rolleyes:
Score: 12 Votes (Like | Disagree)
joeblow7777 Avatar
joeblow7777
46 months ago

So, that's more than 6 hours of daytime (in Europe) selling they throw down the drain, not just for one product, but for all their products and accessories.

Here we go again. The idiotic 'store goes down for 6 hours' crap. Why anyone thinks this makes sense in today's world is beyond me.

Amazon, ESPN, news sites ... ALL update a TON more content than Apple all day long and never have to go 'down' to do so.

And for those who think it makes things 'more exciting' ... all I can say is grow up.

And by the way, Apple gets rid of magsafe and the external battery indicator led (two things I thought were ingenious and useful) in the name of 'progress' ... yet they keep on with this stone-age theater of shutting down the site to update a few products.
It's for show. It's like having a big curtain on stage before the show. They're a $2 trillion company. I'm sure they've crunched the numbers to determine that the hype is worth it.

After all, do they really lose any sales? If you're looking to buy a Mac or an iPad right now, are you going to completely change your mind and abandon your purchasing plans just because the site is down for one morning, or are you just going to come back later? Plus, when you come back, now you see all the new stuff that's featured.

All I'm saying is that it's safe to assume that Apple knows a bit more about marketing hype and sales than you or I.
Score: 11 Votes (Like | Disagree)
s66 Avatar
s66
46 months ago
So, that's more than 6 hours of daytime (in Europe) selling they throw down the drain, not just for one product, but for all their products and accessories.
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
mikejd1 Avatar
mikejd1
46 months ago

Here we go again. The idiotic 'store goes down for 8 hours' crap. Why anyone thinks this makes sense in today's world is beyond me.

Amazon, ESPN, news sites ... ALL update a TON more content than Apple all day long and never have to go 'down' to do so.
Hype
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
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