Apple announced the iPhone 14 series on 7 September at its Far Out event – but you weren't able to order one immediately. So how can you get your hands on a shiny new iPhone 14, iPhone 14 Pro or iPhone 14 Pro Max?
Given recent supply chain issues, I'd suggest not hesitating if you're super-keen to get ahold of one of Apple's latest flagship phones. Fortunately you needn't wait long, as three of the four iPhone 14 models (the iPhone 14 Plus comes later) will go on sale today, Friday 9 September, at the following times on the official Apple website:
When is the iPhone 14 pre-order time and date?
- UK: Friday 9 September at 13:00 (BST)
- EU: Friday 9 September at 14:00 (CEST)
- USA (East): Friday 9 September at 08:00 (EDT)
- USA (West): Friday 9 September at 05:00 (PDT)
Should I pre-order an iPhone 14?
The demand for new Apple products is always high, so getting in the queue early will ultimately result in a new iPhone being shipped sooner and therefore delivered sooner. However, the on-sale date for the iPhone 14 (and Pro and Pro Max) is Friday 16 September – you won't receive a handset prior to then, even if pre-ordering one. Some territories are set to receive stock a week later, but that's not the case for the UK, EU, USA or Australia.
If you really want a new iPhone 14 then pre-ordering is certainly advisable. I don't think the product will 'sell out', as that's not a very 'Apple thing' to happen. What's more likely to happen, as it did with the MacBook Air M2, is that the lead time for delivery will slip – at which point you might have to wait until October to receive your purchase (by which time the iPhone 14 Plus will probably be on sale, that's from 7 October).
Is the iPhone 14 worth pre-ordering?
One unavoidable factor about the iPhone 14 is that it costs more than the outgoing iPhone 13. Well, it does in the UK, where you'll be paying between £70-£150 more for a handset, like for like compared to the previous generation. It's a similar story in Europe and Australia. However, as the Dollar is strong in the USA at the moment, there's no generation-on-generation price rise in the USA, which makes the iPhone 14 even more appealing.
That brings me to a point that I always think is worth considering: you might want to pick up an iPhone 13 for a lower price, especially as the differences between the two handsets are relatively negligible.
I wouldn't say the same about the iPhone 14 Pro Max, though, or the iPhone 14 Pro. These two handsets, which ditch the notch (kinda) and adopt a new 'Dynamic Island' format, are a real step-up in Apple's roster of devices and these are the handsets that people are going to want. That'll mean more demand and potentially more delays.
Below I've embedded real-time shopping widgets that'll show you current pricing for the full iPhone 13 series and, as and when available, the iPhone 14, iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max in a separate widget. It's also well worth looking to your exisitng carrier to see whether there are any trade-in deals or other genuinely decent deals on offer too.