iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus 'delivery delayed on record demand'

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails

Sign up to our free breaking news emails

Please enter a valid email address

Please enter a valid email address

SIGN UP

I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice

Apple fans may have to wait up to a month to get their hands on the new iPhone 6 as record demand could lead to disruptions in the supply chain and prompt delays.

The iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus, which features a larger 5.5-inch screen, will be available starting Friday, but some may have to wait until October with an estimated shipping time of three to four weeks for the larger model, according to Apple's website.

"Demand for the new iPhones exceeds the initial pre-order supply and while a significant amount will be delivered to customers beginning on Friday and throughout September, many iPhone pre-orders are scheduled to be delivered in October," the company added.

On Monday, Apple said it had received a record 4-million pre-orders of the iPhone 6 in the first 24 hours, exceeding expectations in what the company described as an "incredible" response.

The new iPhones were unveiled with much fanfare at a media event last week. Apple began taking pre-orders for the iPhone 6 on Friday, but some customers were greeted with an error message after the website crashed following a surge in traffic on its online store.

Meanwhile, Apple is yet to announce a release date for the iPhone 6 in China, the world's biggest, and arguably most ferocious and competitive, smart-phone market.

Apple did not elaborate on the reasons behind the delay but speculation in Chinese media suggests it failed to secure a routine certification from the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) on time.