iPhone 16 Pro Max and Pro preorder ship dates slip to October – are you too late?

Apple’s iPhone 16 preorders started early on Friday around the world. Like in previous years, your best bet for scoring an iPhone 16 Pro or 16 Pro Max on release day (September 20th) was ordering your chosen model as quickly as possible. You had plenty of time to decide which model to get, how much storage you needed, and what color you liked best.

Coming into Friday’s preorders, you should have known which iPhone 16 variant you wanted. The preorder process should have been easy, especially if you used the Apple Store app to set up your purchase.

If you didn’t prepare or took too long to decide, you might have discovered that certain iPhone 16 models have sold out. It happens every year since Apple only earmarks a portion of its release-day inventory for online sales. Once it’s gone for certain models, delivery dates start slipping. For the iPhone 16 series, it took about half an hour for the iPhone 16 Pro Max to sell out. Certain iPhone 16 Pro were also unavailable for September 20th delivery at the time of this writing.

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Are you too late to preorder an iPhone 16 and ensure you’ll have it on the release date? You still have time to get yours, but it will involve compromises.

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I quickly checked Apple’s website about 35 minutes after preorders started. The iPhone 16 Pro Max was sold out across all colors and configurations. Apple gave me a 7-10-day shipping delay estimate. The delivery estimates then slipped to early October for most Pro Max models. Even so, some of them were still available for in-store pick-up.

As for the iPhone 16 Pro, the 1TB option was unavailable around the same time. Again, in-store pick-up was still available. As expected, there were no stock issues for non-Pro models. That is, shipping dates did not start slipping when last I checked.

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Others observed similar delays. MacRumors reported 2-4 week shipping delays for some iPhone 16 Pro and 16 Pro Max configurations.

With all that in mind, the first thing you should do to try to score an iPhone 16 delivery for September 20th is look for in-store pick-up options. Apple will have stock ready for release date in all its retail stores. It’s the dance we see every year. But longtime iPhone users already know this preorder trick. Some locations will also run out of in-store pick-ups for the sold-out iPhones.

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The alternative to that is visiting an Apple store in person next Friday, hoping you’ll score your desired iPhone 16 Pro or 16 Pro Max model.

Finally, check with your carrier and third-party electronics stores to see if you can score a September 20th delivery. This might not always yield the results you want, however.

iPhone 16 and 16 Plus color options. Image source: Apple Inc.

I will warn you that some compromises might be needed. You might not get the color you wanted or the storage tier you desired. You can always wait for Apple to replenish its stock or just pick whatever is available.

I say all that as someone who hasn’t preordered an iPhone 16. I’m unbothered by the sold-out status, as I’m sure European stores will not run out of stock anytime soon. That’s because I won’t even go for a Pro or Pro Max option this time. I’ll buy an iPhone 16 Plus version sometime in the coming days without worrying about shipping delays.

I performed a check for Apple’s online store in France nearly three hours after preorders started. Most iPhone 16 Pro Max variants are sold out. Preorders will give you delays of up to 3-4 weeks, similar to the US. The iPhone 16 Pro has better estimates, with some color and storage options shipping in 7-10 days. The regular iPhone 16 models are available for release date delivery.

What I’m getting at is that your mileage will vary depending on the market and your iPhone 16 choice. Also, the closer you live to an Apple retail store, the better you’ll fare. Sold-out status aside, it’s likely Apple will catch up with demand very soon. Worst-case scenario, you’ll have to wait a few weeks longer.

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