Apple swamped by iPhone 4 pre-orders

Pre-orders of the recently announced iPhone 4 began Tuesday, overwhelming Apple and AT&T.

Many buyers experienced issues connecting to Apple's website and customer service line. Some had difficulty finishing their orders online, while others endured long waits at Apple's retail stores due to the online issues. Some customers reported that Apple had set a recording on their phone lines telling people to call back at a later time, and others even tweeted about their experience.

Since the original iPhone was released in 2007, web servers for both Apple and AT&T have experienced issues at every new device launch. Today's glitches were apparently in the transaction authorization process, the point when Apple transfers information over to AT&T servers. Other retailers, including Best Buy and Radio Shack, did not appear to be having the same problems.

Representatives at several Apple Stores in the United States said that buyers should try again tomorrow. Neither company made any official statement about the technical issues.

The newest iPhone, iPhone 4 was introduced by Apple CEO Steve Jobs at the company's 2010 Worldwide Developer's Conference less than two weeks ago. It is slated for a U.S. release on June 24, starting at US$199. Ben Reitzes, with Barclays Capital, estimated that over eight million iPhones will have been sold by the end of the current financial quarter, which ends on June 26. Shares of Apple Inc. rose US$5.41 yesterday in regular trading, continuing their trend of having risen 23 percent this year.