You can now pre-order Apple’s thinnest and smartest iPhone yet

Sep 14, 2012 07:28 GMT  ·  By

You can now officially buy an Apple iPhone 5 directly from its makers. Apple has updated its online store with options to choose one of two colors, and one of three storage capacities, but not one of several carriers.

When purchased with a two-year carrier plan, the iPhone 5 is priced the same as its predecessor. It starts at $199 (150 EUR) for the low-end 16GB version. You can get one unlocked (carrier contract-free) for almost four times that amount – $699 (536 EUR). And that’s what Apple is selling at the moment.

Whether or not this is just a temporary glitch as Apple puts the online store back on track, pre-orders are also available through AT&T, Sprint, Verizon Wireless and select Apple Authorized Resellers.

Today, iPhone 5 will be available in the US, Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Japan, Singapore and the UK.

On September 28, many more countries will be able to buy one, including 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: Apple has rectified the App Store glitches that prevented customers from buying their $199 iPhone with a two year contract. The AT&T, Verizon, and Sprint check boxes are now live.