The latest Apple iPhone went on sale in several countries Friday, but although New Zealand was listed to be among them the gadget was mysteriously unavailable.
An Apple representative said the iPhone 4 would be on sale later in the day when the website was updated, but could give no reason for the delay.
A spokesman for Vodafone confirmed on Twitter the morning launch was off while various media reports said it would be on sale in the afternoon.
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It is the second hiccup for Apple in New Zealand in a week after the long-awaited launch of its iPad drew howls of outrage last Friday over the extreme secrecy surrounding the release.
Apple's refusal to announce in advance where its multimedia tablet would be sold left fanatical but frustrated buyers scampering to outlets in the major cities to find where it was available.
Similar secrecy surrounded the iPhone 4 and a staff member at one outlet said they found the policy annoying.
"It drives us crazy sometimes," she said.
The iPhone 4 has already caused problems for Apple because of issues with the phone's antenna which causes reception problems when held a certain way. Apple has offered free cases to fix the issue.
