iPhone 12 delivery date – how long is shipping as pre-orders go live today?
APPLE'S iPhone 12 has opened for pre-orders, giving fans the chance to get their mitts on the very first 5G iPhone.
Sales kicked off at 1pm UK time (8am ET) on Friday, sparking a mad scramble for stock that's expected to sell out within minutes.
iPhone 12 – When will my new iPhone ship?
With sales still rumbling on, Apple has given no indication as to when it expects to ship the new iPhones.
That means anyone who pre-ordered an iPhone 12 or iPhone 12 Pro today has no idea when it'll land on their doorstep.
Typically, new Apple mobiles take at least a week to ship, often stretching up to two weeks.
This is partly to match up shipping with the gadget's official release day (when it becomes available at physical stores), which almost always sits seven days after pre-orders launch.
However, due to production issues suffered as a result of the coronavirus crisis, buyers could be forced to wait much longer this year.
We'll update this piece the moment we hear more from Apple.
New iPhones – What are they?
The iPhone 12 series make up the latest and greatest smartphones from California tech titan Apple, and are the company’s first to come with 5G connectivity.
Apple boss Tim Cook said: “Today is the day of a new era for iPhone. We’re bringing 5G to iPhone.”
He added that 5G “will bring a new level of performance for downloads and uploads.”
In total, Apple announced four new mobiles during its October 13 “Hi, Speed” event, which was streamed live to fans around the world from its Apple Park headquarters.
They're the 6.1-inch iPhone 12, 6.1-inch iPhone 12 Pro, 6.7-inch iPhone 12 Pro Max and a palm-sized, 5.4-inch iPhone Mini.
New iPhones – Price and release date
Apple is staggering this year's iPhone releases.
Pre-orders for the iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 Pro opened on October 16, while the two mobiles will go on general sale a week later, on October 23.
The 12 ships for £799 in the UK and $799 in the US, while the 12 Pro goes for £999 / $999.
Pre-orders for the beefy 12 Pro Max and midget iPhone Mini will come a little later, launching on November 6.
Those two handsets will ship on November 13, starting at £699 / $699 for the Mini and £1,099 / $1,099 for the 12 Pro Max.
We've put together a handy guide on which iPhone is best for you here.
New iPhones – Where to get them
Pre-orders for the iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 Pro opened at 1pm UK time (8am ET) on October 16.
Pre-orders for the iPhone 12 Pro Max and iPhone Mini open at 1pm UK time (8am ET) on November 6.
All pre-orders will go live on Apple's website and hit major online retailers like Amazon, Argos and deals site Mobiles.co.uk soon after.
All of the mobiles will be available at Apple's brick and mortar stores on their respective release days, too. As a reminder, that's October 23 for the 12 and 12 Pro, and November 13 for the 12 Pro Max and Mini.
On top of all that, the big-hitting mobile networks in both the UK and US are stocking the new handsets.
They include Vodafone, EE and Three in the UK, and Verizon, AT&T and T-Mobile in the US.
To bag a pre-order, head to Apple's website or the site of a major mobile carrier shortly before pre-orders open.
Keep your fingers and toes crossed, as the mobiles will be in high demand and so will sell out quickly.
iPhone 12 deals
Now that pre-orders are live, deals are trickling through from major network operators.
Remember, because they're the latest iPhones, you'll struggle to find anything cheap. Here are some of the best so far:
- iPhone 12 with 1GB of data, 1,000 minutes and Unlimited texts for £33 a month for 36 months with Virgin Media – Buy now
- iPhone 12 with 4GB of data, Unlimited calls and Unlimited texts for £34 a month for 24 months with Sky Mobile – Buy now
- iPhone 12 Pro with 4GB of data, Unlimited calls and Unlimited texts for £41 a month for 24 months with Sky Mobile – Buy now
- iPhone 12 Pro with 1GB of data, 1,000 minutes and Unlimited texts for £49.50 a month for 24 months with Virgin Media – Buy now
In time, more networks will announce their pricing and push any deals they cook up to tempt option-swamped consumers.
We'll update this page when those start rolling in, so be sure to check back in.
In the mean time, Apple's finance offer lets you pay over time using an instalment plan.
The payments are made with either Baclays or PayPal and you can choose how much you want to chip in each month.
They're subject to a 14.9 per cent interest rate, though, so you'll end up paying more for the phone than if you bought it outright.
Why an October iPhone release?
Apple detailed its new iPhones during its livestreamed "Hi, Speed" showcase on October 13, 2020.
The company normally unveils new gadgets in front of a raucous crowd at Apple Park during its annual September event.
However, the coronavirus pandemic has forced event organisers to do things a little differently this year.
Apple exec Luca Maestri confirmed in July that, due to the outbreak, the new iPhones would be pushed back by "a few weeks".
That meant the company had to host a rather subdued September event without any iPhone news, with headline announcements including minor updates to the iPad and Apple Watch.
The big guns – a handful of new 5G iPhones – were pushed back to an October 13 showcase to line up with delayed production schedules.
In other news, Apple recently unveiled the latest version of the Apple Watch – its cheapest smartwatch in years.
There's a new iPhone homscreen in iOS 14, and fans are divided over it.
Find out about all the new iOS 14 features here.
What do you think of the new iPhones? Let us know in the comments!
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