Apple ships iPhone 4 two days before official launch.

Tech giant Apple has begun shipping iPhone 4 units to those users who pre-ordered the gadget in the US, with internet users posting pictures of the long-anticipated device on forums and blogs two days before the official launch day.

There are also early reports large retailers including Best Buy and Wal-Mart have received their stock and could begin selling the device earlier than planned.

The reports of early deliveries suggest Apple will be able to handle high demand for the device, despite the record 600,000 pre-orders announced earlier this week. Some analysts suspected such high demand would create problems with shipping, as seen in the release of the iPad, but the early deliveries have relieved those fears.

Now it appears a large number of users who preordered their gadgets will receive their iPhones either today or tomorrow, according to reports.

Additionally, AT&T has confirmed it will not have any stock in store until Tuesday, 29 June, saying that “we’re committed to fulfilling pre-orders first”.

Some analysts suggest the early deliveries have been organised so Apple servers won’t be flooded with a huge number of activation requests.

Additionally, Engadget has reported that stock has now been received at Best Buy and Wal-Mart, two of the authorised iPhone 4 resellers. While it is not yet certain whether stores will sell the gadget tomorrow, a full one day early, separate reports suggest the stores are holding up to 70 units at each location.

This means users who haven’t pre-ordered their iPhone with Apple will need to line up outside these locations on 24 June, or wait outside AT&T stores next Tuesday, 29 June.

The early release in the US is also no indication that Australian users will get their gadgets earlier than expected. Currently the iPhone 4 is set to hit local shelves in “late July” and high demand in the US could push back the local release, as occurred with the iPad release in May.

The early release comes as the company announced it has sold three million iPads in the first eighty days of its release. Based on a minimum price of $US649, the gadget has netted the company at least $US1.8 billion.

Combined with apps, accessories and other gadgets, the company may well have made over $US2 billion from iPad and iPad-related sales.