Apple iPhone 5S, 5C Release Date Nears: Online Orders Open At 12:01 A.M. PDT Sept. 20, In-Store Sales Begin At 8 A.M.

Although the Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) flagship iPhone 5S will not be available via preorders for some reason, the device will hit the company’s online store for purchase at on Sept. 20 at 12:01 a.m. PDT (3.01 a.m. EDT) .

Apple confirmed the details of the availability of the iPhone 5S in an email sent to customers Friday. The company also mentioned in the email that authorized retail stores will begin selling the iPhone 5S the same day at 8 a.m. local time.

It is anticipated wireless carriers will follow suit by allowing customers to order the smartphone online right after midnight, while also opening their stores for on-the-spot purchases at 8 a.m., according to AppleInsider.

Meanwhile, the company’s iPhone 5C is already available for preorders through both Apple Store and carriers’ websites. The iPhone 5C is expected to be delivered to customers on the launch day.

While customers in many countries around the world will likely have to wait in line outside stores to purchase the iPhone 5S on Sept. 20, Apple has allowed its customers in Hong Kong and mainland China to take benefit of an advance reservations system beginning Sept. 17.

This is not the first time that Apple has employed such a reservation system in China. The company used a similar scheme during the iPhone 4’s launch there to control crowds and restrain scalpers, who purchase and resell new products for significant premiums.

The system -- employed for major products launches, such as those of the iPhone 4S, iPhone 5 and iPad mini -- requires information about users’ identification and their desired devices. After that, the system sets up a particular time frame for users to come back and make the transaction.

According to AppleInsider, the advance reservations system in China is noteworthy, given the fact that it is the only nation where customers can ensure they will receive the new handsets on the launch day, while preorders for the smartphone in other parts of the world are “a nonstarter” due to suspected supply constraints.

For those who want to reserve an iPhone 5S in mainland China or Hong Kong, the Apple Store will likely allow them to do so on Sept. 17 beginning at 12:01 a.m. local time.