iPhone 7: Apple Store goes down ahead of phone’s release

It’s thought that the company doesn’t actually need to take the site offline anymore – but does it for tradition

Apple iPhones are displayed during a press preview of the new flagship Apple Store on May 19, 2016 in San Francisco, California (Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)

The Apple Store has gone down ahead of the launch of the iPhone 7.

Anyone looking to buy some last minute, old Apple products is now out of luck. Instead, the site is offline – and people are told just to hold tight because Apple has “something special for you”.

Taking the Apple Store offline has long been a tradition of iPhone and other launches, usually signalling that the excitement is about to begin. Apple rejigged its website recently, when it could presumably have made it unnecessary to take the site offline, but it still does all the same.

The site just tells people that they need to check back later, in a variety of different languages.

Apple’s big event is expected to focus entirely on the iPhone, the Apple Watch and any accessories that are released for either product. But the Apple Store is entirely down, meaning that people can’t buy iPads, Macs or Apple TVs either.

People also won’t be able to buy the new devices for potentially weeks, even though the store is expected to come back online soon after the event. It’s expected that the phone will go on sale in a week or two, though the Watch could take longer – the first one was released in September but took until April the next year to actually arrive in stores.

The iPhone 7 is rumoured to keep much the same design as its predecessor, but drop the headphone jack and traditional home button while adding a hugely updated new processor and camera.

The Apple Watch 2 is thought to emphasise the wearable’s fitness features, adding GPS and an improved battery life.