Another Data Point:
I ordered the iPhone XS Space Gray 256GB on Monday 17 September 2018 at 5:34p Central Time.
I just received a shipment notification from Apple and a UPS tracking number (which is not yet active) with a delivery date of Thursday 27 September 2018. The delivery is well before the promised 1 to 5 October 2018 delivery date.
I ordered the iPhone XS Space Gray 256GB on Monday 17 September 2018 at 5:34p Central Time.
I just received a shipment notification from Apple and a UPS tracking number (which is not yet active) with a delivery date of Thursday 27 September 2018. The delivery is well before the promised 1 to 5 October 2018 delivery date.