Other 📱📱U.S.A. - Apple.com - New iPhone 16/Plus/Pro/Pro Max US Pre-Orders, Orders, and Delivery Status Thread (2024)

[Fred Zed]

ENSURING the trade in isn't screwed up. Period. TWICE I did mail trade in, TWICE it was lost. End of story.

Would you care to share the exact steps you took ? Give us a giggle 😂😀

 

[Garethe86]

It is! My friends and family think I'm crazy to get so excited about this. So much eye rolling, when I try to explain about Apple Order Day.

I get that same eyeroll. And then they change the subject or start backing out of the room.

 

[zea mays]

I'm going to get a little nostalgic here as I just realized that it's been exactly TWENTY years that I've been playing the Apple pre-order tracking game. It's changed a lot in that time, but it's still one of the most fun things to do. 20 years ago, the first tracking started going out for iMac G5s. I was at the end of my pregnancy with my daughter and anxiously awaited my shipped email. It was a race between the baby and the iMac and I was SO excited for both. I got the email and then had to wait what seemed like FOREVER for updates. I didn't participate in that thread, but I did watch it faithfully. I finally got my iMac, set it up, and went into labor that night (though she wasn't born until 2 days later!). That baby will turn 20 on Oct 1st. Thanks all for making this such a fun experience.

 

[Fred Zed]

Does anyone know when the YouTube reviewers get their hands on videos out ? I thought it was today.

 

[Garethe86]

Mine is in a mall also. There are two lines outside the store. One is for people that have pre-ordered and have an appointment and the other is for people who don’t have an appointment. There’s a gatekeeper at the front that will check you in and show you where to wait. There are more employees inside directing traffic. Eventually you will be assigned to a person who will fetch your phone and direct you to an area where you can set it up. At least that’s how it works at mine.

Do I go and see the gatekeeper as soon as I get there? Or is there a line for the gatekeeper?

 

[zea mays]

Does anyone know when the YouTube reviewers get their hands on videos out ? I thought it was today.

It's usually the Wednesday before launch.

 

[zea mays]

Do I go and see the gatekeeper as soon as I get there? Or is there a line for the gatekeeper?

You have to answer his riddles three first. Or, there is usually someone at the end of the lines helping people get into the correct one. I promise it will be very evident when you get there, but I completely understand wanting to know

 

[gaedfly]

Really? I wasn’t complaining. I’m not even a little worried. I was only responding to what somebody else asked.

I think you misunderstood me. I didn’t think you were complaining. I was ragging on myself.

 

[Garethe86]

You have to answer his riddles three first. Or, there is usually someone at the end of the lines helping people get into the correct one. I promise it will be very evident when you get there, but I completely understand wanting to know

Heheh. For the uninitiated, we have the infamous competitor commercials that poke fun and probably inaccurately portray it, even YouTube had very few videos on it. I guess influencers and bloggers enjoy getting their phones handed to them and don't have to experience any of this.

 

[LK2020]

I get that same eyeroll. And then they change the subject or start backing out of the room.

Yeah, at work, they couldn't believe that I'm in a forum with people talking about where our phones are in the ordering and shipping process and they especially can't believe I do this every year. 🤣🤣 I just say you don't know what fun you're missing. 🤣

 

[zea mays]

Heheh. For the uninitiated, we have the infamous competitor commercials that poke fun and probably inaccurately portray it, even YouTube had very few videos on it. I guess influencers and bloggers enjoy getting their phones handed to them and don't have to experience any of this.

Yes, we used to have a whole threads for different stores with people setting up meet ups in the lines back when people used to have to camp for in store pickup! It's very different than those old stories would indicate. They have it down and everyone is very friendly and helpful. And as someone else mentioned earlier in the thread, the people watching can be great!

 

[gaedfly]

Well, you know, if you order from Apple, it won't change from Preparing to Ship until it clears customs, literally a day or so before it arrives. The only way to get the full tracking number is to have UPS MyChoice and it posts the entire tracking number in there as soon as the label is created, unless they've changed things, but that's how it's been for as long as I can remember.

I’ll check my UPS app. Yes I know it won’t change status until it clears customs. No worries, I know every once in a while someone’s delivery is delayed but I’ve always had mine delivered on time.

 

[timeconsumer]

I think you misunderstood me. I didn’t think you were complaining. I was ragging on myself.

You are correct, I did misunderstand you. Thank you for clarifying.

 

[gaedfly]

I get that same eyeroll. And then they change the subject or start backing out of the room.

I usually get no response at all. It’s iPhone pre-order day! Blank stare.

 

[AZhappyjack]

Preparing to ship anyone else???

many of us... and we will all get them on 9/20...

 

[AZhappyjack]

I have received stuff from Apple via FedEx.

Yes. Apple uses both FedEx and UPS... but release day phones have always come via UPS.

 

[ScoutTactics8]

Nice! my ultramarine silicone case just shipped via fedex and expected Monday. I think it's gonna look great on my black 16PM. Now to find and order a black leather case for the stealth mode. Any suggestions for leather?

 

[Garethe86]

Yeah, at work, they couldn't believe that I'm in a forum with people talking about where our phones are in the ordering and shipping process and they especially can't believe I do this every year. 🤣🤣 I just say you don't know what fun you're missing. 🤣

This is my first time doing it for an Apple release, I've certainly participated in vacation countdowns in the travel forums and video game expansion releases in the gaming forums, which get just as crazy because everybody is trying to log in at once.

Yes, we used to have a whole threads for different stores with people setting up meet ups in the lines back when people used to have to camp for in store pickup! It's very different than those old stories would indicate. They have it down and everyone is very friendly and helpful. And as someone else mentioned earlier in the thread, the people watching can be great!

I did a couple of those at the back of the Costco lines during the pandemic, no official meetups, just random strangers with a "we're all in this together" mindset. Too bad the camaraderie didn't last.

 

[LK2020]

I’ll check my UPS app. Yes I know it won’t change status until it clears customs. No worries, I know every once in a while someone’s delivery is delayed but I’ve always had mine delivered on time.

So far I don't see anything on UPS MyChoice. I've always been lucky enough to be in the first group of deliveries a week later, but there was one time when my phone made it to Louisville where it clears customs and it didn't make it out of Louisville with the others going to all their different destinations at that point. They told me it somehow just got separated or something from the group going on my truck and it ended up not coming til the following Monday, but that was the only issue I ever had in all the years I've been doing this yearly upgrade.

 

[blairh]

For those choosing to go to the store to pick it up, why? Some reasons I can think of include:

• You don't work from home and don't want to risk a package coming when you're not home to sign for it
• You don't want it to or can't have it come to work for some reason
• You want the comfort of having a specific time (at the store) when you can get your phone
• You, for some reason, have to have it at the absolutely earliest possible second on Friday, and the store pickup accomplishes that
• You don't want to risk getting a damaged phone at home and then having to deal with that headache
• You don't want your wife/husband/girlfriend/mistress/dog or other cohabitant to know
• You need the store's help in transferring to a new phone
• You're trading in and need to go to the store to most easily accomplish that process, or simply don't want to put your current phone in the mail (FedEx, etc.), given some of the horror stories that are out there
• You want to be part of the "launch day social experience" at an Apple Store

What else is there?

I'm just wondering what would incentivize people enough to endure the absolute zoo of being at an Apple Store on a launch day.

Full disclosure: mine are being delivered at home because there is no way I want to endure the zoo experience, plus I have no reason to avoid the extreme convenience of home delivery.

I always pick up at the Apple store.

No chance of the phone being lost in transit.

No need to worry if I will be home or not when the phone were to arrive.

I have an appointment to pick it up. I don't have to wait long for them to hand it to me.

I can simply swap eSIMs in-store and set it up at home on Wi-Fi.

I can trade-in my old iPhone when I pick up my new one.

I will never do home delivery ever again.

 

[Dominican]

My order has updated to processing

Pick up on 20

 

[Dominican]

Does anyone know when the YouTube reviewers get their hands on videos out ? I thought it was today.

Probably on Friday they already have the phone can't release it

 

[David Knowles]

Is it me or are the ship times much better this year?

The one I got (black 16 pro 128gb) was available for delivery on release day most of today

 

[sumiregusa]

Can somebody PLEASE share what the ISPU set up will look like at the typical Apple store? Mine is in a mall. It opens at 10, my appointment isn't until 1:00. For ISPU, do I skip the lines and go directly into the store and check in at the appropriate time? Are there two lines, one for ISPU and another for people that didn't preorder? If there are two lines, how do employees weed out the people that show up super early? Will there be signage? Or do you just look for the back of the line and inquire with your fellow shoppers? ~TIA

Hahaha I saw some others jumped in with answers so you should be good to go.

The long and short of it is once you're in the right line you have an appointment linked to your Apple ID and they use the Pass in your Apple Wallet (or your order number from your email if you'd prefer) to verify you have said appointment. Then you get the phone and you're out of there ideally in under 15 mins!

 

[chips99]

So excited for today Apple Family!

I got my pre-order in this morning for my 16 ProMax 1TB in Desert Titanium (I really hope it's sharp!!) Mine is currently preparing to ship!

Also really excited for my mom, she is currently using an iPhone XR and she's not as techie as me, but she she said her own phone has been slower for the past year or so and when she was in the room watching the event when I had it on Monday she said, "Do you think it may be time for me to upgrade my phone, you know how I said it has been slower for a while now?" I said well your phone is from 2018, so it is aging.

She really like the Ultramarine, so she had me order her a new phone this morning as well. She's one that doesn't really believe in treating herself to things like this, but I told her you use it to read the news during the day and communicate with friends, so you deserve to treat yourself to it since you actually use it and I think you'll really find it's so much zippier than your current phone.