Pre-order pace brisk for iPhone 4S

CUPERTINO, Calif., Oct. 8 (UPI) -- AT&T said it received more than 200,000 pre-orders for the iPhone 4S in the first 12 hours amid brisk U.S. and international sales.

The Wall Street Journal reported AT&T called the iPhone 4S "the most successful iPhone launch we've ever had."

At Verizon Wireless, a spokesman said "our systems were humming very strongly since 3 a.m.," when it began taking pre-orders, and executives were "pleased with the sales and the ordering process."

Some U.S. customers said they had a hard time placing orders online, but an Apple spokeswoman said "everything's running smoothly."

The Journal said consumer reaction to the 4S will provide a measure of whether Apple can continue generating demand for its smartphones, the company's largest product category when measured by revenue.

Some analysts said Apple lost potential customers because it didn't change the external design of the phone or call it an iPhone 5.

The new phone features a faster microprocessor and new voice-activated software.

The Journal said the outpouring of emotion after the death this week of Apple co-founder Steve Jobs could affect sales of the new iPhone.

David Michael, 46, who said he was attracted by the phone's upgraded camera, stayed up until 2:15 a.m. to place his pre-order. After Jobs' death, he said, "I wanted to show support and help to knock initial sales out of the ballpark."