Apple claimed a “record number of first day pre-orders” for its latest iPhones, passing four million in the first 24 hours.

The company said that “demand for the new iPhones exceeds the initial pre-order supply”, and while a “significant amount” will be delivered to customers from Friday onward, many are scheduled for October.

Some observers had previously noted that it was the larger device – the iPhone 6 Plus – which was the first to show limited availability, although it is certainly possible that Apple took a more cautious approach to building up inventory for what is still an unproven proposition.

The vendor said that additional inventory will be available for “walk-in” customers from this Friday (19 September), with availability in 20 additional markets from 26 September.

Initial markets supported are US, Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Japan, Puerto Rico, Singapore and UK.

Pricing for the new devices starts at $199 for the iPhone 6 with two-year contract, and $299 for the iPhone 6 Plus, again with contract.

Apple raised some eyebrows last year when it omitted numbers from a statement detailing availability of its then new iPhone 5s and iPhone 5c, having previously highlighted the success of its launches.

This year’s launch of the iPhone 6 Plus sees the company making its first step into the large-screen smartphone (phablet) category (5.5-inches), while the standard iPhone 6 has also seen a bump to 4.7-inches.