SAN FRANCISCO— Apple Inc. appeared to have sold out of its initial inventory of the iPhone 5 just an hour after it began accepting preorders Friday, suggesting strong consumer interest.

The Cupertino, Calif., company's website began accepting preorders shortly after midnight Pacific time. Within an hour, however, the company's website indicated that shipping times had slipped from an expected delivery on the device's launch date, Sept. 21. Those who preordered were told the iPhone 5 would be available to ship in two weeks.

Natalie Kerris, a spokeswoman for Apple, said the response so far from customers had been "incredible." "We've been completely blown away by the customer response," she said.

The updated shipping times suggest strong sales for the device, which promises customers faster Web browsing, better gaming and crisper pictures. The display measures 4 inches diagonally, compared with the 3.5-inch screen Apple has used for its iPhones since the device launched in 2007.

The perceived demand for the iPhone 5 has helped to lift Apple's stock to another all-time high, this time at $696.98. The stock closed Friday up 1.2% at $691.28.