Particle.news

Apple Opens iPhone 18 Pro Preorders as Some Pro Max Delivery Dates Slip

Strong early demand is already straining available stock and pushing deliveries out for select Pro Max configurations.

Overview

  • Apple opened preorders on Saturday, September 12 at 5:00 a.m. Pacific, with first deliveries and in‑store availability scheduled to begin on Friday, September 18 and a further rollout to about 20 more countries on September 25.
  • The iPhone 18 Pro starts at $1,199 for the 256GB model and the Pro Max starts at $1,299, with storage options up to 2TB and regional price and financing variations through Apple and carriers.
  • New hardware highlights include the A20 Pro chip built on a 2nm process, a 48MP main camera with a physical variable aperture, a smaller Dynamic Island that can show three Live Activities, faster wired charging and an upgraded vapor chamber for sustained performance.
  • Major carriers and retailers are offering conditional promotions and trade‑in credits that can cut the effective price by as much as about $1,200 for qualifying customers while Apple is offering trade‑in values and a new Apple Upgrade leasing option.
  • High early demand has already moved some iPhone 18 Pro Max delivery estimates into October for certain colors and capacities, Apple is using a 'Get Ready' preorder setup and a queue system to speed checkout, and the separate foldable iPhone Duo will open for preorder on October 16 with shipments on October 23.