Here's When iPhone 18 Pro Pre-Orders Begin in Every Time Zone

I’m ready

This is going to be the easiest pre order for years.

What about us in Vanuatu?

Best of luck to those ordering it. May your pockets never run dry.



Granted, $499 from the original iPhone in 2007 is about $800 in 2026. And the iPhone 5C for $99 was a steal.

Technically this in off for the earlier iPhones. The full retail price of iPhones was $649 since at least the iPhone 4. It was just reduced to $199 with a contract which you still paid for but AT&T baked it into the high rate plans because the prevailing thought was that consumers would balk at the idea of a $649 phone. Around 2012-13 Tmobile started the separation of the plan and phone price that we have today but the retail price stayed the same until the iPhone X. So all in all, Apple has been pretty reasonable as far as price increases over the years.

One thing I would add to all the pre-order panic: I really wouldn’t assume the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max will remain difficult to get for very long.

The 17 Pro was a much bigger upgrade, including a major redesign. The 18 Pro looks almost identical and is mostly about internal improvements: A20 Pro, variable aperture, a smaller Dynamic Island and better battery life. At the same time, Apple raised the starting prices by $100 to $1,199 and $1,299.

And this year there is another factor: the $1,999 iPhone Duo. Some of the people who would normally buy the most expensive Pro Max will undoubtedly move to the Duo instead.

For perspective, very rough third-party estimates for combined global Pro + Pro Max sales in recent years are:

2021: ~91 million
2022: ~85 million
2023: ~117 million
2024: ~110+ million
2025: ~104+ million

These are estimates based on market trackers, not official Apple numbers, since Apple does not disclose unit sales by model.

The iPhone 17 generation was exceptionally successful, so the 18 Pro also has a very tough comparison. With a smaller year-over-year upgrade, higher prices and the Duo taking some high-end buyers, I wouldn’t be surprised at all if 18 Pro/Pro Max volumes end up lower this year.

So yes, there may be the usual launch-day rush and some configurations may slip by a few weeks, but I wouldn’t panic if you don’t get one immediately. My guess is that availability will normalize faster than it did last year.

It seems like everyone prefers the burgundy color, which is great news for me since I’m getting the glacier! I hope it doesn’t get delayed.