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Apple released the iPhone 14 range, three Apple Watches, and the updated AirPods Pro, but if you’re placing an order through Apple now, you’ll have to wait until October. Here’s how to get them faster elsewhere.
Apple had already seen certain models, such as the iPhone 14 Pro, increasingly being back-ordered from the time pre-orders became available. While Apple Stores always get their own supply of new devices on launch day, they’re also sold out in most cases.
There are exceptions, specifically for the base iPhone 14 and the Apple Watch SE.
iPhone 14 series
The iPhone 14 was released on September 16, 2022 and is available to order online and in-store pickup starting today. For a $9 courier fee, an iPhone 14 can be delivered by 5 p.m. today, and regular overnight delivery is free.
While the iPhone 14 Plus wasn’t released on September 23rd and is instead scheduled to release on October 7th, it currently has no shipping delay. Orders placed now for any color and any capacity of the iPhone 14 Plus will continue to ship until October 7th.
There was a significant lag on the two iPhone 14 Pro models.
An online order for each color and capacity of the iPhone 14 Pro shows a delay of at least three weeks. Apple expects delivery between October 18th and 25th.
The iPhone 14 Pro Max is experiencing a longer delay as new orders are expected to take a month. Apple estimates that each iPhone 14 Pro Max will ship between October 25th and November 1st.
It is likely that Apple Stores will continue to have inventory. A sample of Pro models repeatedly shows that they are not available for pickup.
Typically, however, AT&T and Verizon are good sources to shop for new iPhones, and of course they have carrier deals.
Apple Watch range
The stainless steel edition of the Apple Watch Series 8 is currently backordered between October 11th and 18th. But there doesn’t seem to be any delay in the aluminum base model, which can be ordered today via courier service or store pickup.
The same goes for the Apple Watch SE, which is also currently lag-free.
However, the Apple Watch Ultra is heavily back-ordered even before its official release on September 23. An online order placed with Apple today will be delivered between October 25th and November 1st.
Third-party availability is variable, but Amazon currently lists a September 23 delivery date for the Apple Watch Ultra.
Also, you can get better deals when you buy Apple Watches from alternative vendors. For example, buy an Apple Watch Series 8 or Apple Watch SE through Adorama and you can save $15 on AppleCare using this activation link and promo code APINSIDER. AppleCare for the Apple Watch Ultra is $20 cheaper with this activation link and the same APINSIDER code.
AirPods Pro
Apple’s newly updated AirPods Pro 2 also came out on September 23 and are now backordered from Apple too.
The delivery delay isn’t as pronounced as with the iPhone 14 Pro or the Apple Watch Ultra, but it’s still not possible to get a pair of AirPods Pro 2 from Apple in September. Instead, online orders today will have a shipping date between October 4th and October 11th.
But that’s if you buy direct from Apple. If you look around Amazon instead, not only are the AirPods Pro 2 currently listed at $10 off full retail, but they’re shipping on launch day, September 23.
