Apple and AT&T Websites Get Ready for iPhone 5 Pre-Orders

Both Apple's Online Store and AT&T's website have gone offline in preparation for the iPhone 5 preorders in the next few hours. AT&T has posted a countdown to their site. MacRumors also has a countdown at the top of our front page.

iPhone 5 pre-orders begin at 12:01am Pacific and 3:01am Eastern on September 14th. In the U.S., the iPhone 5 will be available on AT&T, Sprint and Verizon.

TechCrunch reported that unlocked pricing for the iPhone 5 was going to be $649 (16GB), $749 (32GB), and $849 (64GB) but that the unlocked phones would not be available until several weeks after the launch.

Customers can also buy directly from retail stores starting on September 21st. Pre-order customers will get delivery of their iPhones on September 21st.