Apple Store Down for iPhone 5 Pre-Orders [Updated]

“We’ll be back” reads a banner on the front page of the Apple online store. Currently down for maintenance, Apple’s web store is being updated with iPhone 5 listings, including carrier options, storage capacities, and a much-needed pre-order button.

iPhone 5 comes in either white & silver or black & slate, and will soon become available in the US and select territories around the globe for $199 (€152) for the 16GB model and $299 (€229) for the 32GB model and $399 (€306) for the 64GB model.

Apple’s elusive new handset will be available from the Apple Online Store (store.apple.com), Apple’s retail stores, and through AT&T, Sprint, Verizon Wireless and select Apple Authorized Resellers in the US.

Other countries getting a chance to pre-order the latest Apple smartphone include Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Japan, Singapore and the UK. Shipments are slated for Friday, September 21.

Apple also announced that iPhone 4S would be available for just $99 (€76) and iPhone 4 would be available for free with a two-year contract starting today.

iPhone 5 ships with iOS 6, the latest version of Apple’s mobile operating system that will be also released as a free software update to existing iDevice owners on Wednesday, September 19.

iOS 6 comes with an all-new Maps application with Apple-designed cartography, turn-by-turn navigation and Flyover views, Facebook integration, the new Passbook app, new Siri features, Shared Photo Streams via iCloud, and much more.

iPhone 5 is touted by its makers as the thinnest and lightest iPhone ever with a redesigned body, a new 4-inch Retina display, the next-generation A6 processor for increased performance, faster wireless technology (4G LTE) and even better battery life.

The international rollout of the iPhone 5 is scheduled for September 28, when 22 more countries will be receiving shipments of the handset.

New territories receiving the phone at the end of the month include Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland.

Update #1: store is now online for some, pre-orders are officially available.