iPhone 18 Pro Pre-Orders Open September 12 at 5 a.m. PT, In Stores September 18
Apple confirmed on Friday that pre-orders for the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max open on Saturday, September 12 at 5 a.m. PT, with both phones reaching stores and doorsteps worldwide on Friday, September 18. Orders go through apple.com and the Apple Store app, which is where the fastest delivery slots historically disappear inside the first few minutes.
Everything else Apple showed this month is already orderable. Apple Watch Series 12, Apple Watch Ultra 4, AirPods 5, the new Mac mini and the new Mac Studio opened for pre-order ahead of the phones. The watches and AirPods ship alongside the iPhone on September 18. The two desktops arrive later, on Tuesday, September 22.
The 5 a.m. PT start time, converted
Apple quotes a single start time in Pacific Time, so everyone else has to do the arithmetic. 5 a.m. PT on September 12 is 8 a.m. ET in the United States, 1 p.m. BST in the UK, 2 p.m. CEST across most of western Europe, 5:30 p.m. IST in India, and 10 p.m. JST in Japan. In Australia that lands at 10 p.m. AEST on the same Saturday evening.
The September 18 on-sale date is described as worldwide, and it covers the iPhone 18 Pro, iPhone 18 Pro Max, Apple Watch Series 12, Apple Watch Ultra 4 and AirPods 5 together. Apple has not published availability details for the foldable iPhone Duo in this announcement, so nothing here should be read as a Duo date.
The "Get Ready" bag, and a deadline that does not add up
Apple is pushing a pre-order shortcut it calls getting ready: build the order now, save the shopping bag, and check out with one click on Saturday morning. You can pick the model and finish, add cases and straps, get leasing or financing pre-approval, and set up a trade-in before the queue exists.
Here is the odd part. Apple's own announcement says customers have "until 9 a.m. PT on Friday, September 11" to do this — but the announcement itself went out at 9 a.m. PT on September 11, which would make the deadline the moment of publication. Reporting elsewhere reads it as a typo for 9 p.m. PT, and a Friday-evening cutoff matches how Apple has handled the same step in previous years. Treat 9 p.m. PT Friday as the working assumption and do it earlier if you can, because the checkout shortcut costs nothing and the risk is entirely one-way.
What the money looks like
Apple did not restate full retail prices in this announcement, quoting monthly figures instead. The relevant numbers it did give:
- Apple Trade In: $175 to $885 in instant credit for an iPhone 13 or newer.
- Carrier credit: up to $1,200 toward an iPhone 18 Pro or Pro Max when trading an iPhone 14 or newer in any condition with AT&T, T-Mobile or Verizon, activated at Apple.
- Apple Upgrade (leases provided by Klarna): from $34.99 a month on a 24-month iPhone lease, $11.99 a month for Apple Watch, and $48.99 a month on a 36-month Mac Studio lease, all before tax and trade-in.
- Apple Card Monthly Installments: US only, 0 percent APR, with 3 percent Daily Cash paid up front.
The "any condition" wording on the carrier trade-in is the line worth reading twice — a cracked iPhone 14 that Apple Trade In would value near the bottom of its range can be worth considerably more routed through a carrier deal, at the cost of locking you to that carrier. Our earlier look at Apple's raised US trade-in values covers how the standard tiers moved.
Two other things landing the same week
AppleCare One Family starts in the US on September 14 — a single plan covering every eligible Apple product across a Family Sharing group, including devices the family already owns, with theft and loss cover for iPhone, Apple Watch and iPad. At checkout you can still pick AppleCare One Individual or plain AppleCare+ for a single product instead.
Separately, buying an iPhone 18 Pro or Pro Max unlocks three months of Apple One free for new and qualified returning subscribers.
The iPhone 18 Pro lineup comes in black, silver, glacier and a new burgundy. If you are still deciding whether the Pro is worth it this year, we covered the memory-driven pressure on its price and what changed on the Apple Watch Series 12 and Ultra 4.
Frequently Asked Questions
What time do iPhone 18 Pro pre-orders start?
Pre-orders open at 5 a.m. PT on Saturday, September 12, 2026. That is 8 a.m. ET in the US, 1 p.m. BST in the UK, 2 p.m. CEST in western Europe, 5:30 p.m. IST in India and 10 p.m. JST in Japan. Orders are taken on apple.com and in the Apple Store app.
When does the iPhone 18 Pro actually ship?
Apple says the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max reach stores and start arriving with customers worldwide on Friday, September 18, 2026. Apple Watch Series 12, Apple Watch Ultra 4 and AirPods 5 go on sale the same day. The new Mac mini and Mac Studio follow on Tuesday, September 22.
Can I pre-order the Apple Watch Series 12 and AirPods 5 already?
Yes. Apple Watch Series 12, Apple Watch Ultra 4, AirPods 5, Mac mini and Mac Studio are all open for pre-order now, ahead of the iPhone. Only the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max wait until September 12.
How much is my old iPhone worth toward an iPhone 18 Pro?
Apple Trade In gives $175 to $885 in instant credit for an iPhone 13 or newer. Alternatively, AT&T, T-Mobile and Verizon are offering up to $1,200 in credit for an iPhone 14 or newer in any condition, activated directly at Apple. The carrier route usually pays more but ties you to that network.
What is Apple's Get Ready step before pre-orders?
It lets you choose your model, add accessories, arrange financing pre-approval and set up a trade-in in advance, then save the shopping bag so checkout is a single click when pre-orders open. Apple's announcement gives a cutoff of 9 a.m. PT on Friday, September 11, which appears to be a typo for 9 p.m. PT given the announcement itself went out at 9 a.m. PT that day.
