Didn’t Pre-Order? The iPhone 17 Is Still up for Grabs in Stores
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Many of those who pre-ordered a new iPhone 17, iPhone Air, iPhone 17 Pro, or iPhone 17 Pro Max should be receiving the delivery of their new handsets today, but you may still be able to pick up a new iPhone on launch day even if you missed last week’s pre-order rush.
While pre-orders for the new iPhone lineup began last Friday, September 12, many folks either didn’t have the time to order their new precious or simply procrastinated until it was too late.
Only a few hours after pre-orders opened, many configurations on the Apple online store in the United States and other regions began showing a one to three week shipping delay, with some models showing delivery dates reaching into late September or even mid-October. However, there’s still hope for those who want to get their hands on one of the new models right away, as delivery or in-store pickup is still available at many Apple Store locations, as Apple always reserves stock for its stores separately from its pre-order inventory.
The iPhone ordering pages on the Apple Store have now been updated to show availability for in-store pickup, and if you live in a major urban center, chances are good you can order one online and have it in your hands today. For example, all of the 10 stores in the New York City area will let you order an iPhone 17 and pick it up within the next 48 hours, with five of them offering pickup today.
In some places, you can even pay a few extra bucks to save yourself a visit to the store, as Apple is offering the same local shipping service for the new iPhone models. For instance, buyers in New York can pay an extra $9 to get same-day delivery by courier from a local Apple Store. That extra cost may be worth it when some of the same models won’t ship from the factory until at least October 15.
These availabilities may not apply to every configuration, as there will likely be shortages of some models, colors, and capacities, and some will also be more in demand than others. Still, if you act fast you should be able to score the new iPhone of your dreams and have it to keep you occupied this weekend.
In several European countries, stores are already open, and all iPhone 17 configurations are available for store pickup either today or on Saturday in several countries, including the United Kingdom, Germany, France, Spain, and Italy. Meanwhile, Apple Stores in Australia, China, Mexico, South Korea, India, the UAE are also showing same-day pickup availability.
To order a product with Apple Store pickup, add the product to your bag on the Apple online store or in the Apple Store app, go to checkout, tap the “I’ll pick it up” option, enter your ZIP code or postal code, select an Apple Store location, select a pickup date, and select a 15-minute check-in window. You should also be offered the local delivery option if you’re fortunate enough to live in an area where it’s offered, but in some cases, you may also need to enter your ZIP or postal code in the main shipping section, where you’ll see it presented alongside the normal factory shipping estimate
In either case, payment will be completed online, and you’ll receive a confirmation with the order number to present during pickup. The email also typically includes a scannable code and even an Apple Wallet pass to help expedite things when you arrive at the store. You’ll also need to present a valid government-issued photo ID for pickup or even local delivery.
Be warned that iPhone 17 availability can’t be guaranteed. If you simply perform a walk-in without first ordering, you may be given lower priority upon arrival to the store.
If you haven’t made a decision on which new iPhone you’ll purchase, let’s do a quick rundown of the new models.
iPhone 17
The iPhone 17 is powered by an A19 chip that offers support for Apple Intelligence, an OLED display boasting a 120 Hz ProMotion refresh rate, Always On functionality, and more scratch resistant front glass. It’s dual-lens camera system is made up of two 48-megapixel lenses. The iPhone 17 has connectivity powered by an Apple-designed networking chip, and is equipped with a Camera Control button enables quick camera access, as well as a customizable Action button.
iPhone 17 pricing starts at $799 for the 256 GB model. A 512 GB configuration is also available. It comes in lavender, sage, mist blue, white, and black.
The iPhone Air
Apple’s new uber-thin iPhone measures in at just 5.6mm thick, making it the slimmest iPhone ever. Its body is built with grade 5 titanium to resist the bending that afflicted Apple’s previous thinnest device, the iPhone 6. The slim device sports a 6.5-inch ProMotion 120Hz display. The device uses Ceramic Shield 2 on both front and back, providing improved scratch and crack resistance. The device has a single 48MP rear camera, while the front-facing camera uses an 18MP TrueDepth system. It’s powered by the A19 Pro chip, with 12 GB RAM. Networking and connectivity are handled by Apple’s C1X modem and an eSIM.
The iPhone Air’s starting price is $999 for 256 GB. It’s also available in 512 GB and 1TB capacities. Your color choices here are more muted than the others in this year’s lineup: sky blue, light gold, cloud white, and space black.
iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max
As usual, the top-end of Apple’s iPhone 17 lineup is filled out by the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max. The new flagship handsets are built using lightweight aluminum, which, combined with the new A19 Pro chip and vapor chamber cooling, provides a significant improvement in heat management. The new pill-shaped rear camera housing holds a triple 48 MP camera system with advanced 8x telephoto zoom and LiDAR. The duo both boast a brighter 120 Hz ProMotion display, capable of reaching 3,000 nits outdoors, with improved anti-reflective coatings and always-on functionality. The duo offer Bluetooth 6, Thread, and Wi-Fi 7 connectivity, and the device is compatible with Qi 2.2 25W fast charging.
Battery life has been improved to up to 33 hours for the iPhone 17 Pro, or a staggering 39 hours for the iPhone 17 Pro Max, provided you’re buying the eSIM-only version, which is sold only in the US, Canada, Mexico, Japan, Guam, Kuwait, Bahrain, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and the US Virgin Islands, since the removal of the physical SIM card has left more room for a larger battery.
Both iPhone 17 Pro models now start with 256 GB of storage, with the base iPhone 17 Pro priced at $1,099 and the iPhone 17 Pro Max at $1,199. They’re also available in 512 GB and 1 TB capacities, while the larger model gets a 2 TB version for the first time. However, you only get a choice of three colors this year: silver, cosmic orange, or deep blue.
