Verizon's order page, on the other hand, asserts that new orders will be delivered by Sept. 28.

Last year, on the first day of iPhone 4S ordering. That pattern repeated today, but at a faster pace.

Further delays are inevitable.

By the third day of iPhone 4S ordering in 2011, AT&T was informing customers that there would be a three-to-four week delay in shipping, while Verizon's message was a two-week hold.

Even then, Sprint reported that while it had sold out of the lowest-price 16GB iPhone 4S, it still had the 32GB and 64GB models ready to deliver the day that smartphone hit shelves in Apple's retail stores.