Apple Store Still Isn't Up, One Hour into iPhone 6 Pre-Orders

It is almost ritual for the Apple faithful; staying up until midnight (or, on the east coast, setting an alarm for 2:55 a.m.) to pre-order the next version of the immensely popular iPhone.

The process itself only takes a few minutes — usually. Buyers visit the Apple website as quickly as possible, choose their phone, and pay before the devices sell out. It’s a sprint, and those with the fastest fingers get their phones on launch day. The rest wait several weeks.

This morning’s iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus launch would be better compared to a marathon. We’re currently over an hour past the pre-order start time and the Apple Store still hasn’t been put back online.

Instead, the bleeding-edge hungry and the sleep-deprived are being taunted by Apple’s “We’ll Be Back” message displayed in approximately 17 different languages.

Twitter is, of course, abuzz with those who have been waiting for the Apple Store site to return. Many are confused — it’s not like Apple to botch a launch, especially one this important. Others are finding humor in the situation.

I personally wonder if the U.S. will see one of its most unproductive days in recent memory on September 12, as workers who have stayed up for hours throw in the towel on the day before it’s really even started.

That’s not to say the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus are impossible to get right now. A lot of people have had success on the Verizon and AT&T websites. The Sprint site seems to be crashing an awful lot. And T-Mobile? That website doesn’t seem to know that today is September 12, as the company is still registering users to alert them when the new iPhones are up for pre-order.

Some have gone back to bed, fed up and tired of waiting. For those who soldier on, I salute you. Good luck, and may your iPhone ordering process be swift and painless.