How to Get Ready for Your iPhone 16 Pre-Order
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Apple will open pre-orders for the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Pro lineups tomorrow at 5 a.m. Pacific Time (8 a.m. ET), but you don’t need to wait until then if you’re ready to start shopping now.
To help customers navigate the stress of pre-ordering their new iPhone (and undoubtedly also to help reduce the load on Apple’s store servers), Apple allows you to get your order ready ahead of time. This includes picking out your preferred model, capacity, and color so that it’s sitting in your basket and ready to go.
However, it’s even more helpful for those wanting to arrange a trade-in or upgrade through the iPhone Upgrade Program, as those require several more steps that could bog things down when it comes time to place your order. By getting all those details out of the way now, you’ll ideally only need to hit the “Buy” button when pre-orders open for real tomorrow morning. You can also get pre-approval for financing, or, if you’re paying with an Apple Card, do a pre-authorization to ensure you won’t run into snags at the digital checkout counter.
Naturally, this “pre” pre-order only applies to purchases made through the Apple Store. However, those in the US can also activate on one of the three big US carriers — AT&T, T-Mobile, or Verizon — or even Boost Mobile this year (if you’re a new customer). Zero percent financing is also available on all four carriers and can be set up as part of your package in advance.
This can be done either from Apple on the web or in the Apple Store app on your iPhone or iPad, but you’ll want to act fast as Apple says it’s closing down at 9 p.m. PT tonight (midnight ET) to get ready for the actual pre-orders tomorrow morning:
Customers have until 9 p.m. PDT this evening to get a head start on pre-ordering the new iPhone 16 lineup by choosing their desired model, selecting their preferred payment method — including pre-approval for financing — and saving their shopping bag so they’re only one click away once pre-orders open tomorrow.
It’s unclear what will happen at this point — it’s possible the Apple Store may go offline entirely until pre-orders open — but once the clock strikes 5 a.m., you can go through the process in real time and check out right away. There haven’t been any rumors of supply chain constraints this year or even that much pent-up demand, although it’s still a good idea to get your order in as early as possible if you have a specific color and capacity in mind.
Of course, Apple won’t be the only place to order a new iPhone 16. Most carriers and major retailers like Best Buy are preparing to launch their own pre-orders tomorrow morning through their websites. Plus, even in the unlikely event that every iPhone 16 sells out during pre-orders, Apple and other retailers have separate stock set aside for next Friday when the new models go on sale in stores.
