Apple starts to cancel iPhone 4 pre-orders

Apple has started cancelling pre-orders for the iPhone 4, according to various reports. A number of US customers have received notifications saying that their order has been stopped.

AT&T started to send emails cancelling pre-orders last week without giving any specific reason, and now it appears that Apple is doing the same.

Reports say that customers are receiving an email from Apple stating: "We were unable to complete the authorisation process for your iPhone order. As a result, we had to cancel your iPhone order.

"To complete the purchase of your iPhone, please visit an Apple Retail Store or an AT&T company-owned retail store."

Cancellations have been reported only in the US so far. In the UK O2 has already confirmed that it has "extremely limited" stock and is offering the iPhone 4 only to existing customers.

Apple's UK web site was inundated with requests for the iPhone on 15 June when the company starting taking advanced orders. Apple announced in a statement that it had taken more than 600,000 pre-orders for the device in less than 24 hours.

V3.co.uk contacted Apple, but the firm had not responded at the time of writing.