Think you can guess the iPhone 18 Pro pre-order start date? You probably can't!
Based on the now-official September 9 announcement date of Apple's next big iPhones, you might expect pre-orders to kick off on September 11. But that's unlikely to happen for fairly obvious reasons.
The iPhone 18 Pro and 18 Pro Max aren't exactly the mobile tech world's best kept secrets, but while Apple is unlikely to (pleasantly) surprise anyone with the price points of its highly anticipated new non-foldable devices, one thing about their launch schedule could well prove rather unexpected... for folks unfamiliar with calendars and recent US history.
You might want to save the September 12 date
Death, taxes, and Friday iPhone releases. Those are in theory some of the very few certain things in life, but as you'll soon discover, one of them is not as immovable as you thought.
The iPhone 18 Pro and 18 Pro Max are officially set to surprise and shine on September 9. | Image by Apple
Following their September 9 unveiling, the iPhone 18 Pro and 18 Pro Max should (theoretically) go up for pre-order on Friday, September 11. After all, Friday releases have been the norm for the industry-leading handset family for many years now.
But September 11 isn't exactly a day of celebration, so Apple is expected to make an exception from its typical product launch schedule this year and put the iPhone 18 Pro duo up for pre-order on Saturday, September 12 instead. Obviously, a 24-hour "delay" isn't going to make a world of difference for folks who've been waiting for these phones for 12 months, and besides, if this rumor proves 100 percent accurate, we're not even talking about a 24-hour lengthier wait than usual.
Will you pre-order the iPhone 18 Pro or 18 Pro Max?
That's because the September 12 pre-orders are tipped to start at midnight Pacific Time, compared to the typical 5 am kick-off time of Friday iPhone pre-orders from recent years. Speaking of recent years, I should probably point out that the last time iPhone pre-orders opened on a Saturday was all the way back in 2015 for the exact same reason - the Friday after the iPhone 6s and 6s Plus announcement just so happened to fall on September 11.
What about the iPhone Ultra?
That, my dear friends and readers, is the million multi-billion-dollar question, and at least for the time being, I don't have a definitive and 100 percent reliable answer for you.
A September 12 pre-order start for Apple's first foldable iPhone is unlikely but not impossible. | Image by fpt on YouTube
While everyone knows Apple's first-ever foldable device will finally be unveiled alongside the iPhone 18 Pro and 18 Pro Max on September 9, no one can predict precisely how the iPhone Ultra's subsequent launch schedule could look.
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There's definitely a possibility the Galaxy Z Fold 8 alternative will also go up for pre-order on September 12 ahead of a later release date than its non-foldable "cousins" in limited numbers. A pre-order start in late September is an even stronger possibility, according to multiple well-connected insiders, and if you ask me, an even later release is not to be ruled out either after all those reports of production snags in recent months.
One thing seems almost guaranteed: the iPhone Ultra and the iPhone 18 Pro duo will be on different (or radically different) schedules.
Here are more news stories on Apple's upcoming iPhones:
If history is any indication (and it usually is), all other products unveiled on September 9 will start their pre-orders on the same date as the iPhone 18 Pro and 18 Pro Max. That should include the AirPods 5 (with and without active noise cancellation), as well as the Apple Watch Series 12 and Apple Watch Ultra 4.
The Apple Watch Series 11's sequel is probably coming out at the same time as the iPhone 18 Pro duo. | Image by PhoneArena
Then there's the "vanilla" iPhone 18, of course, which is inexplicably set for a spring 2027 launch according to, well, everyone who knows anything about Apple's plans, as well as a bunch of new Macs that are almost surely looking at an announcement later this fall.
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Adrian, a mobile technology enthusiast since the Nokia 3310 era, has been a dynamic presence in the tech journalism field, contributing to Android Authority, Digital Trends, and Pocketnow before joining PhoneArena in 2018. His expertise spans across various platforms, with a particular fondness for the diversity of the Android ecosystem. Despite the challenges of balancing full-time parenthood with his work, Adrian's passion for tech trends, running, and movies keeps him energized. His commitment to mid-range smartphones has led to an eclectic collection of devices, saved from personal bankruptcy by his preference for 'adequate' over 'overpriced'.
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