The Apple Store website is down ahead of Friday's launch of the red iPhone

The Apple Store website has been taken offline as Apple prepares to start selling its special-edition red iPhone and new iPad.

On Tuesday, Apple announced a raft of new products, including a low-cost iPad and new phone cases - but the star of the show was a red iPhone 7.

The device is part of Apple's long-running partnership of with the (RED) organization, with money from each sale going towards HIV/AIDS research and relief efforts. It's the most interesting-looking iPhone that Apple has built in a long time - a welcome relief from the gold-and-grey monotony that plagues many modern smartphones.

Apart from the new colour, it's the same old iPhone 7 - but it will be available in only the more expensive 128 GB and 256 GB models, with no option to buy a 64 GB version.

Visitors to the Apple Store website for now will be greeted with a placeholder message saying "we've got something special in store for you" and asking you to check back later.

It doesn't explicitly state what's coming, but both the red iPhone and the new iPad are scheduled to go on sale Friday.

The store is expected to come back online at 8:01 a.m. PT (11:01 a.m. ET, or 3:01 p.m. in the UK.)