iPhone 18 Pro pre-orders reportedly shift to Saturday September 12

Pre-orders of Apple's iPhone 18 Pro may not open until Saturday, September 12, a day later than the company's usual schedule, according to a new report. Apple is set to hold its annual iPhone event on Wednesday, September 9, where the ‌iPhone 18 Pro‌ models, its first-ever foldable iPhone, and the Apple Watch Series 12 and Ultra 4 are all expected to be announced. Under Apple's typical launch plan, pre-orders begin the Friday immediately following the event, with devices shipping the following Friday. This year, that would place pre-orders on Friday, September 11, but Macworld reports that its German sister publication, Macwelt, has heard from a reliable source that Apple will instead push pre-orders back to Saturday, September 12. There is precedent for this as the shift is reportedly tied to the date itself. September 11, 2026 marks the 25th anniversary of the September 11 attacks, and Apple has moved pre-orders away from that date before. In 2015, when the standard pre-order Friday also landed on September 11, Apple delayed iPhone 6S and 6S Plus pre-orders to Saturday, September 12. The timing within the day is also said to be changing. Apple's pre-orders traditionally open at 5 a.m. PT, but the source says this year's window will instead start at midnight PT on Saturday. The delayed pre-order date is expected to apply to the ‌iPhone 18 Pro‌, Apple Watch Series 12, and Apple Watch Ultra 4, alongside any other hardware Apple introduces at the event. Apple's foldable iPhone could follow at a later date, with pre-orders potentially not opening until late September. Earlier this year, Macwelt reported that Apple would announce the iPhone 17e on Thursday, February 19, but that announcement didn't actually come until March 2. That being said, Saturday, September 12 looks like a solid bet for the ‌iPhone 18 Pro‌'s pre-order date, though the reported midnight PT start time is worth taking with a pinch of salt for now. Apple's iPhone event takes place in just under two weeks, on September 9.Related Roundup: iPhone 18 ProThis article, "iPhone 18 Pro Pre-Orders May Start at an Unusual Time" first appeared on MacRumors.comDiscuss this article in our forums

Macworld Just a few days ago, Apple announced the date for its annual Phone event: Wednesday, September 9, less than two weeks away. We’re expecting Apple to unveil its first-ever folding iPhone at the event, along with the iPhone 18 Pro and Apple Watch Series 12. But if you’re looking to buy one of them, you might have to wait longer than usual. A reliable source has told Macwelt that pre-orders this year are not set to begin, as usual, on the Friday following the launch. Instead, Apple will open pre-orders a day later, on Saturday, September 12. The reason for this is that this year, September 11 falls on the Friday following the event, a day of remembrance and mourning in the U.S. The time is also set to change, according to the source: While pre-orders usually begin at 5 am PT, Apple is reportedly opening up pre-sales at midnight PT on Saturday. It wouldn’t be the first time Apple has moved pre-orders from Friday to the following Saturday: 11 years ago, the iPhone 6S and 6S Plus weren’t available for pre-order until Saturday, September 12, 2015, for the same reason. This preorder should apply to the iPhone 18 Pro, Apple Watch Series 12 and Ultra 4, and any other surprises Apple has in store. However, if you’re looking to buy one of the foldable iPhone Ultras, reports claim that preorders might not begin until late September. A similar situation occurred in 2020, when the iPhone 12 Mini and the iPhone 12 Pro Max were launched later than the iPhone 12 and the iPhone 12 Pro due to the coronavirus pandemic. Apple also delayed the iPhone X in 2017 due to production issues with the next-gen handset.