Apple apologises to customers over iPhone 4 pre-order bungle

Record number of pre-orders to blame, the company says

Apple has conceded a system malfunction has left many of its would-be customers unable to pre-order its new iPhone 4.

According to the company, a record number of pre-orders – 600,000 in one day – had resulted in a number of technical malfunctions with the company’s order and approval systems, leaving many customers unable to process their orders.

Customers trying to order via the company’s website were repeatedly faced with error messages as the website struggled to reach the demand for the device.

According to the company, pre-order volumes were far higher than it had anticipated, resulting in many customers being turned away or abandoned the pre-order process in frustration.

"We apologise to everyone who encountered difficulties, and hope that they will try again or visit an Apple or carrier store once the iPhone 4 is in stock," the company said in a statement.

Despite the apparent high demand, there have been many criticisms of the new iPhone in comparison with its predecessor, with critics highlighting issues with the phone’s glass housing, Facetime feature and the retina display.

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