Blame the AirTags and the purple iPhone 12 if you wanted to buy something else from the Apple Store this morning.
Apple has taken parts of the Apple Store offline in preparation for its latest products going up for pre-order. Most of the site is still accessible, but you won't be able to get to the buying page for the iPhone 12 or the AirTags until later today.
- Apple AirTag review (hands on): The key finder I've been waiting for
- Find your lost items with the best key finders
- Plus: Apple shoots down iPad and Mac merging into one — again
The holding page on the store says the normal page will return at 5 a.m. PDT. That works out to 8 a.m. ET or 1 p.m. in the U.K. It's not too long to wait, but if you were hoping to buy any other iPhone 12 or check out the specs of the AirTags before you bought them, then you'll just have to wait.
AirTags are Apple's new key trackers, similar to existing products like the Tile Mate. Our hands-on time so far has shown they're easy to use via the Find My app, and work particularly well if you have the iPhone 11 or iPhone 12, which can track the tags more precisely with the built-in U1 chip.
The new purple color for the iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 mini needs less explanation. We had a hands-on session with the new hue, and while it's not a color we'd all like for our own device, it looks good. Now all we need is a metallic version for the iPhone 12 Pro.
In the meantime, you could have a look at the new iPad Pro 2021 or iMac 2021, which also debuted at Apple's Spring Loaded event. The 2021 iPad Pro now uses an Apple M1 chip for more power, with the 12.9-inch model now using a mini-LED XDR display. The iMac also uses the M1 chip, but in a fresh and colorful new design and with an upgraded webcam/microphone combo for better video calls.
The purple iPhone 12 and the AirTags go on sale properly on April 30. The purple iPhone costs the same as other color options: $799 for the iPhone 12, $699 for the iPhone 12 mini. The AirTags cost $30 for a single tag, or $99 if you want a set of four.
