Whether it’s because of the economy, better supply than normal, the looming iPhone Duo, or Apple’s unusual opening of pre-orders on a Saturday, very few iPhone 18 Pro models are showing any shipping delays as of an hour after preorder start.
Following their launch on September 9, 2026, the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max models are now available for pre-order. But they did not sell out immediately, as is more normally the case.
By 08:30 ET, half an hour after pre-orders opened, no color or configuration of the iPhone 18 Pro showed any shipping delays at all in the US. They remained available to be delivered on Friday, September 18.
The iPhone 18 Pro Max fared better, but not by much. None of the 1TB or 2TB versions are delayed whatsoever.
But the first model to see any delay was the iPhone 18 Pro Max 256GB one in burgundy. Shortly after 30 minutes, it slipped from September 18 to between September 29 and October 6, which is around a week and a half to two weeks later.
By the one-hour mark, that model was delayed a further week, showing as October 6 to October 13. The 512 burgundy model initially slipped to between September 24 and September 29, but by 09:00 ET it too was October 6 to October 13.
Similarly, the glacier color iPhone 18 Pro Max 256GB slipped to up to two weeks after half an hour, and so did the same configuration in silver. It’s now showing October 6 to October 13, and the black 512GB model is September 24 to September 29, while it’s still September 18 in silver.
The black iPhone 18 Pro Max 256GB model also slipped to September 24 as its earliest delivery date.
These are all figures for the US Apple Store and there has been a difference overseas. In the UK, for instance, all but the 2TB version of the burgundy iPhone 18 Pro slipped back to September 24.
What’s happening
Moving to Saturday to open pre-orders, in order to not be on 9/11, has surely had an impact as people’s schedules and availability will be different. There is also the fact that it’s not yet possible to pre-order the iPhone Dou, so buyers may be waiting for that model.
Or there is the fact that the global chip shortage has made prices higher. Plus the global economy is such that discretionary spending is reduced.
However, it is also possible that Apple has done a better job of predicting early sales demand and managed to produce sufficient quantities to meet it.