iPhone 18 Pro preorders open Saturday at 5 a.m. PT

Apple ↗ 0.50% is hours away from opening preorders for the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max, with sales set to begin at 5 a.m. Pacific Time on Saturday, September 12. The devices will ship and arrive in stores on Friday, September 18, in more than 65 countries, with 20 additional countries following on September 25.macobserver+3

What Apple Announced

Apple unveiled the iPhone 18 Pro lineup at its "Surprise and Shine" event on Wednesday, September 9, at its Cupertino headquarters. The phones feature the A20 Pro chip built on TSMC's 2-nanometer process, a new variable aperture camera system, a smaller Dynamic Island, and extended battery life — up to 36 hours of video playback on the Pro, according to The New York Times' Wirecutter. The iPhone 18 Pro starts at $1,199 and the Pro Max at $1,299, each $100 more than their predecessors.apple+4

Apple also debuted its first foldable, the iPhone Duo, which starts at $1,999 and will be available for preorder on October 16 with an October 23 launch. The Duo features a 5.4-inch outer display and a 7.6-inch inner screen, though it lacks the Pro Max's telephoto lens and variable aperture.pcmag+1

Early Hands-On Impressions

Reviewers who tried the devices at the event have begun weighing in. The Verge noted the phones "look quite similar to the previous iPhone 17 Pro lineup, keeping the same general design, aluminum body, and screen sizes". TechRadar praised the variable aperture and smaller Dynamic Island as "two surprisingly good reasons to upgrade". CNN Underscored published a guide suggesting users with older models consider upgrading while those on iPhone 17 Pro may want to wait. Geeky Gadgets called the $1,199 starting price "a tough sell" for what it described as incremental updates.theverge+3

Financing and Carrier Deals

For buyers who prefer not to pay upfront, Apple's new Upgrade leasing program — launched in July through a partnership with Klarna — offers the iPhone 18 Pro starting at $34.99 per month on a 24-month lease. The program does not include AppleCare+, and buyers who don't purchase the device outright at the end of the lease face a balloon payment or must start a new lease.pcmag

Major carriers are competing for preorder customers. AT&T is offering the iPhone 18 Pro free with qualifying trade-ins of an iPhone 14 or later, T-Mobile is matching with free devices for new customers or trade-ins on Experience Beyond plans, and Verizon is advertising up to $1,200 off with a new line and eligible trade-in.mashable