Apple's Online Store Goes Down to Prepare for AirTag and Purple iPhone 12 Orders
Apple's online storefront is down in preparation for the launch of the AirTags and the new purple iPhone 12 models, which are set to be available starting at 5:00 a.m. Pacific Time or 8:00 a.m. Eastern Time in the United States.

Ahead of new product launches, Apple often takes its online store offline in order to get ready for the influx of orders.
Announced at Tuesday's "Spring Loaded" event, AirTags are Apple's long-awaited Bluetooth item trackers that can be attached to wallets, keys, cameras, and more, allowing those items to be tracked in the Find My app.
AirTags are priced at $29 each or $99 for four, and each AirTag can be engraved if desired. AirTags feature a user-replaceable CR2032 battery that lasts for a year, and they have an IP67 dust and water resistance rating.
As for the purple iPhone 12 models, they're identical to the existing iPhone 12 and 12 mini but are available in a new light purple color that joins the existing white, black, blue, green, and (PRODUCT)RED shades. The iPhone 12 mini is priced starting at $699 and the iPhone 12 is priced starting at $799.
There is no indication that the AirTags or the purple iPhone models will be available in limited quantities, but it's always a good idea to order early to get launch day delivery. AirTags and the new iPhone models will deliver to customers starting on Friday, April 30.
Related Stories
The utility of Apple's AirTag item trackers have started to be seen in law enforcement when locating stolen property, according to recent reports. As reported by GadgetLite, an AirTag user in Boston was able to recover their stolen property with the help of the police and Apple's small tracking device.
Earlier this month, the user discovered that his bike had been stolen. Thankfully, he...
The safeguards that Apple built into AirTags to prevent them from being used to track someone "just aren't sufficient," The Washington Post's Geoffrey Fowler said today in a report investigating how AirTags can be used for covert stalking.
Fowler planted an AirTag on himself and teamed up with a colleague to be pretend stalked, and he came to the conclusion that the AirTags are a "new means...
ElevationLab today debuted the TagVault, which is the most protective AirTag holder that we've seen to date.
Priced at $12.95 for one or $29.95 for a pack of three, the TagVault is a two piece AirTag holder that screws together to offer total protection for an AirTag. The two halves come apart, the AirTag is situated in the middle, and then four screws hold the TagVault together....
The newly released fourth beta of iOS 15.4 introduces the anti-stalking AirTag changes that Apple announced earlier this month, providing a setup warning that using an AirTag or another Find My-linked item to track someone without consent is a crime.
"You can locate this item using the Find My network," reads the setup screen. "Using this item to track people without their consent is a crime ...
Apple AirTag tracking devices with deactivated speakers have been spotted on eBay and Etsy, raising privacy concerns about the risks of removing one of the AirTag's safeguards, PCMag reports.
The modified AirTags, dubbed "Silent AirTags," have had their internal speaker removed so that they are no longer able to emit a sound to highlight their presence. The Silent AirTag looks identical to a ...
AirTag orders are beginning to be marked as "shipped" for more customers on Apple's online store around the world, with most deliveries set to begin arriving to customers on Friday, April 30 launch day. A few lucky customers already received their AirTag orders earlier this week, providing us with a closer look at the unboxing experience.
Priced at $29 each or $99 for a four pack, users can ...
Michigan resident John Nelson claims that he was recently targeted by car thieves who hid one of Apple's AirTags in his vehicle, a 2018 Dodge Charger.
According to a Fox 2 Detroit report, Nelson visited the Great Lakes Crossing shopping center in Auburn Hills, where he spent about two hours. After departing, he got a notification on his phone that informed him he was being tracked by an...
Amazon today has Apple's AirTag 4-Pack for $89.00, down from $99.00. The accessory is shipped and sold directly by Amazon, and currently only Amazon is offering this sale on the AirTag. There is only a discount on the AirTag 4-Pack right now on Amazon, not on the 1-Pack option.
Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with some of these vendors. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may ...
Popular Stories
Last year's iPhone 13 Pro models were the first of Apple's smartphones to come with 120Hz ProMotion displays, and while the two iPhone 14 Pro models will continue to feature the technology, their screens could well boast expanded refresh rate variability this time round.
To bring ProMotion displays to the iPhone 13 Pro models, Apple adopted LTPO panel technology with variable refresh...
Leaker Jon Prosser today shared ostensibly accurate renders of the iPhone 14 Pro, providing the most accurate look yet at what the device could look like when it launches later this year.
In the latest video on YouTube channel Front Page Tech, Prosser revealed renders of the iPhone 14 Pro made by Apple concept graphic designer Ian Zelbo, highlighting a range of specific design changes...
With around four months to go before Apple is expected to unveil the iPhone 14 lineup, the overwhelming majority of rumors related to the new devices so far have focused on the iPhone 14 Pro, rather than the standard iPhone 14 – leading to questions about how different the iPhone 14 will actually be from its predecessor, the iPhone 13.
The iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max are expected...
The iPhone 14 will feature a more expensive "high-end" front-facing camera with autofocus, partly made in South Korea for the first time, ET News reports.
Apple reportedly ousted a Chinese candidate to choose LG Innotek, a South Korean company, to supply the iPhone 14's front-facing camera alongside Japan's Sharp. The company is said to have originally planned to switch to LG for the iPhone...
Apple today confirmed that the keynote event for the Worldwide Developers Conference will begin at 10:00 a.m. Pacific Time on June 6, the first day of WWDC. The keynote will be an online-only event, though a select number of developers have been invited to the Apple Park campus for a viewing event.
In addition to confirming the keynote date and time, Apple has shared the full WWDC 2022...
Apple today announced new Pride bands for the Apple Watch, with new Pride Edition Sport Loop and Pride Edition Nike Sport Loop options available.
The new Pride Edition bands are available to order today for $49 on Apple.com and in the Apple Store app, and will be available at Apple Store locations starting May 26. The Pride Edition Nike Sport Loop is also coming soon to Nike.com.
This...
Top Rated Comments
I understand not wanting people to buy and then cancel/return orders if they ordered in the hour before an announcement.... but you still get that effect for the days or weeks before.
Even if you pull the site down for product launches.... I don't see why they can't just flip the switch from greyed out add to cart to hey, you can buy it now. Several hours of downtime to allow ordering of a product you always announced just seems so, 1995.
At least, from Apple, you are guaranteed the hardware when you order it and you won't suffer the bad user experiences that you will get from these other hardware purchases.
So whatever Apple is doing with their e-commerce backend, it works! If they have to take the entire site off-line to prepare for the load, so be it. Even during the height of the pandemic, their site still worked seamlessly and even during the mad rush of the Holiday last year! Unlike the GPU and console purchases last holiday season....man...that was some experience!
EDIT: LOL, how cute I got downvoted for a serious question. I honestly wonder how demand for AirTags is, and if its even worth it to wake up early for it. Sorry if I don't normally wake up at 5 AM.