5 Tips to Score an iPhone X on Pre-Order Day

The iPhone X becomes available to preorder Oct. 27. And you want one. Well, so do millions of other people across the globe — and, unfortunately, the premium handset is going to be in really short supply for quite a while.

Put simply, the iPhone X is likely to sell out in a matter of minutes after it becomes available. Despite that, there are a few things you can do beforehand to increase your chances of nabbing an iPhone X. There's still no guarantee you'll get one, but these tips could give you an edge. Press the Right Arrow to Learn 5 Tips to Score an iPhone X on Pre-Order Day

5 Know What You Want and When

This seems obvious, but it’s still important to note: know what you want beforehand. In the mad frenzy that is attempting to score a preorder, you can’t afford to waste a precious few seconds on last-minute color or storage capacity decisions. Decide what you want now.

Similarly, figure out when preorders become available in your area. If you’re in California or on the West Coast of the U.S., for example, preorders will start at 12:01 a.m. local time. If you're on the East Coast, preorders become available at 3:01 a.m. local time. Use a time converter or world clock to figure out when preorders go online in your time zone.

4 Use the Apple Store App

Looking back at past iPhone launches, customers who used the Apple Store iOS app had better luck actually pre-ordering a new device. It’s probably the fastest way to select a device, add it to your card and check-out. The app isn't natively included with iOS, so you'll have to download it from the App Store. Similarly, if you don't have an iOS device, you're out of luck.

For those who do have an iPhone or iPad, even Apple itself acknowledges that the Apple Store app is the fastest way to preorder. So if you’re planning on preordering the iPhone X, now’s a good time to download the app from the App Store, login with your Apple ID, and set up your Apple Pay with a working credit or debit card. You can install the app with this link.

Lastly, you can use the following trick on your Apple Store app to make the process a snap.

1. Open the App and tap on the iPhone X banner.
2. Tap the iPhone X, and choose your color and storage capacity.
3. Add the iPhone X to your Favorites for quick access at launch.

3 Double-Check Apple Pay

Make sure that all of your Apple Pay settings are good to go — use a functioning card, double-check your billing address, and maybe even go through a “dry run” to ensure that the Apple Pay button in your app is working properly. Similarly, it’s probably a good time to inform your credit card company that it should be expecting a $1,000 purchase.

2 Set an Alarm Then Order

First off, set an alarm for about 15 minutes before the official launch time — you’ll want to be awake and aware that preorders are impending. At soon as the official time rolls around, you’ll want to follow these steps, as quickly as possible (assuming you set up beforehand).

1. Make sure the Apple Store app is open.
2. As soon as it hits 12:01 a.m. Pacific Time (or your local time), tap Account.
3. Tap Favorites, and then iPhone X.
4. Tap on the blue Add to Bag button near the bottom.
5. Tap the bag tab.
6. Tap the black Buy with Apple Pay button.
7. Tap the black Apple Pay button at the bottom, once again.
8. Authenticate via Touch ID to complete the purchase.

And hopefully, if you're lucky, you'll have an iPhone X on the way this time next Friday!

1 Don’t Just Rely on One Method

Of course, if you're committed to snagging an iPhone X this year, it's smart not just to rely on one method. While the Apple Store app might be the fastest, something could go wrong. Pro tip: have an alternate device, preferably a desktop or laptop, with the iPhone X preorder page open, before the preorder launch time rolls around.

Keep in mind that Apple isn't the only retailer that will have iPhone X devices on hand. If you're using that backup computer, it might be smart to have separate tabs for Best Buy's site, as well as your carrier's (AT&T, Verizon, etc.) website — they're both likely to have some iPhone X models in stock for pre-order. If all else fails, you might have to head down to your local Apple Store with fingers crossed.