Fazlur Rahman
Updated September 13, 2026 - Cupertino, California iPhone 18 pre-orders opened on Friday, September 12, 2026 at 5:00 AM Pacific Time. All four lines - the iPhone 18, iPhone 18 Air, iPhone 18 Pro, and iPhone 18 Pro Max - sold out their first-weekend allotment within 18 hours. As of September 13 at 9:00 AM PT, Apple.com shows delivery slipping to September 19-22 for the base iPhone 18, September 22-25 for the Air, September 22-26 for the Pro, and September 26-30 for the Pro Max .
Carriers are reporting 18% year-over-year demand growth, the strongest pre-order weekend since the iPhone 12 5G launch in 2020 (Apple, September 12, 2026; Apple.com, September 13, 2026; CIRP, September 13, 2026).
At a glance
- iPhone 18 pre-order status by model (as of September 13, 9 AM PT)
- What is new in the iPhone 18 lineup
- Demand signals and carrier response
- What to expect between now and launch
Data last verified September 13, 2026 from Apple.com delivery estimates, CIRP pre-order survey data, and carrier press releases from Verizon, AT&T, and T-Mobile.
iPhone 18 pre-orders opened Friday, September 12, 2026 at 5:00 AM Pacific Time. All four lines (iPhone 18, iPhone 18 Air, iPhone 18 Pro, iPhone 18 Pro Max) sold out their first-weekend allotment within 18 hours. As of September 13, 2026 at 9 AM PT, Apple.com delivery is slipping to September 19-22 (base), September 22-25 (Air), September 22-26 (Pro), and September 26-30 (Pro Max).
Launch day is Friday, September 19, 2026. Pricing starts at $899 for the base iPhone 18 (128 GB) and $1,399 for the Pro Max (256 GB) (Apple, September 12, 2026; Apple.com, September 13, 2026; CIRP, September 13, 2026).
iPhone 18 pre-order status by model (as of September 13, 9 AM PT)
| Model | Storage tiers | Starting price (US) | Apple.com delivery | Walk-in Sept 19 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| iPhone 18 | 128 / 256 / 512 GB | $899 / $999 / $1,199 | Sep 19-22 | Limited, appointment-only |
| iPhone 18 Air | 256 / 512 GB / 1 TB | $1,099 / $1,199 / $1,399 | Sep 22-25 | Very limited |
| iPhone 18 Pro | 256 / 512 GB / 1 TB / 2 TB | $1,199 / $1,399 / $1,599 / $1,899 | Sep 22-26 | Sold out most stores |
| iPhone 18 Pro Max | 256 / 512 GB / 1 TB / 2 TB | $1,399 / $1,599 / $1,799 / $2,099 | Sep 26-30 | Sold out nationwide |
What is new in the iPhone 18 lineup
The iPhone 18 family runs the A20 chip on TSMC's 2 nm process, with the A20 Pro variant on the Pro and Pro Max. The 2 nm node delivers an estimated 18-22% performance gain and 30% power reduction over the A19 (TSMC, September 2026). Pro and Pro Max carry 12 GB RAM; the base iPhone 18 and Air carry 8 GB.
All four lines support Apple Intelligence 2, which ships in iOS 27 on September 14, 2026.
The Pro camera system is the headline upgrade: a 48 MP main, 48 MP ultrawide, and a 64 MP periscope telephoto with 7x optical zoom (up from 5x on the 17 Pro Max). The new C2 modem supports 5G mmWave on n258 and improved satellite connectivity for emergency SOS in 25 additional countries.
The Photonic Engine 3 handles computational photography and an upgraded LiDAR scanner with 2x range. The Pro and Pro Max displays are 6.3-inch and 6.9-inch ProMotion OLED with 1 nit minimum brightness. Battery life is rated at 33 hours video playback (Pro) and 39 hours (Pro Max).
The base iPhone 18 and Air retain the dual-camera system from the 17 series, with software improvements carried by the A20 chip (Apple, September 2026; Apple Newsroom, September 12, 2026).
Demand signals and carrier response
CIRP's pre-order survey (released September 13) found 18% year-over-year growth in iPhone pre-order intent - the strongest opening weekend since the iPhone 12 5G launch in October 2020.
CIRP's pre-order survey (released September 13) found 18% year-over-year growth in iPhone pre-order intent - the strongest opening weekend since the iPhone 12 5G launch in October 2020. The Pro Max is the highest-demand configuration, accounting for 38% of all pre-orders, followed by the Pro (32%), the base iPhone 18 (20%), and the Air (10%).
The 256 GB tier is the most popular (44% of pre-orders), followed by 512 GB (28%) and 1 TB (18%) (CIRP, September 13, 2026).
All three US carriers opened at 5:00 AM PT on September 12 and have reported 'strongest ever' trade-in volumes. Verizon's 'Trade in. Save up to $1,100' offer (Unlimited Ultimate + iPhone 14 Pro or newer trade-in) was the most heavily advertised.
AT&T's 'iPhone 18 On Us' (Unlimited Premium + iPhone 15 or newer) and T-Mobile's 'On Us (24 months)' (Go5G Plus + iPhone 14 or newer) ran side-by-side. Apple Card 24-month financing is the simplest no-trade-in path at $24.97-$87.46/month depending on model. Straight-talk pricing: the base iPhone 18 at $899 is $24.97/month on Apple Card 24-month financing, with no trade-in required (Verizon, AT&T, T-Mobile, September 12, 2026; Apple Card, September 2026).
What to expect between now and launch
Through September 18, expect Apple to release additional inventory in waves - typically 6 AM PT and 6 PM PT - as production ramps and shipping windows consolidate.
Through September 18, expect Apple to release additional inventory in waves - typically 6 AM PT and 6 PM PT - as production ramps and shipping windows consolidate. The Pro Max line is the most constrained; buyers willing to accept a 1 TB or 2 TB configuration are likely to see faster delivery than the 256 GB or 512 GB tiers, which Apple often holds back for Apple Store retail.
The base iPhone 18 in 256 GB is the most accessible configuration for buyers who want launch-day delivery (Apple, September 12, 2026).
iOS 27 releases on Monday, September 14, 2026 - five days before the iPhone 18 launch. The release is the first day users with iPhone 15 and newer can install iOS 27 on existing devices. For complete iOS 27 features and install instructions, see our iOS 27 release day guide .
For Apple Watch Series 12 buyers, pre-orders opened September 12 in parallel; the watch launches September 19, the same day as the iPhone 18. For a head-to-head comparison, see our Apple Watch Series 12 vs Garmin comparison .
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Photo: Ahmad Ali Karim, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/55/IPhone_17_launch_at_Apple_TRX_Malaysia_10.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=original)
