iPhone 14 preorders open 9 September - plus price details announced at Apple Eve...

plus price details announced at Apple Event

iPhone 14 preorders will open on Friday, September 9. Apple vice president of iPhone marketing Kaiann Drance announced the news this afternoon during the ‘Far Out’ Apple Event in Cupertino, California, as we reported in our iPhone 14 launch live blog. 

As well as introducing the new iPhone 14, Apple also announced iPhone 14 Plus, iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Maxmodels, all of which will be available for preorder on September 9. 

iPhone 14, Pro and Pro Max will be available to buy from September 16, and the iPhone 14 Plus version from October 7.

If you're looking to preorder the latest Apple flagship phone as soon as it’s available, note this date and be ready to commit on Friday. While it's unlikely all models will sell out immediately, it's a good idea to put your order in sooner rather than later.

For more detailed guidance on what to expect this Friday, head to our main iPhone 14 preorders page, which summarizes our expectations and advice for bagging a new iPhone, and our iPhone 14 deals predictions page.

iPhone 14 preorders officially open on Friday

iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Plus preorders will open this Friday, September 9, and will be available to buy respectively on September 16 and October 7. Here are the exact times at which preorders will open: 

• PST - 5 AM
• MDT - 6 AM
• CDT - 7 AM
• EDT - 8 AM
• BST - 1PM

You can pre-order your iPhone 14 directly at Apple (opens in new tab), as well as Verizon, AT&T, and other leading carriers in the US. 

In the UK, Carphone Warehouse, Mobiles.co.uk, and Currys are all likely to be opening preorders at the same time as Apple. 

How much will the iPhone 14 cost to pre-order?

It turns out the rumours and leaks regarding a price hike on the new iPhone 14 series - due to the current global economic pressure, the pandemic and soaring energy costs - weren't completely unfounded. But the base iPhone 14 preorder price will nonetheless start at the same price as iPhone 13: $799 / £779. 

Here's a summary of how much the iPhone 14 will cost to pre-order:

• iPhone 14 - $799 / £849
• iPhone 14 Plus - $899 / £949
• iPhone 14 Pro - $999 / £1099
• iPhone 14 Pro Max - $1099 / £1199

What's new about iPhone 14?

Apple is very much doing its usual iterative upgrade with the standard iPhone 14 and new 14 Plus model, with both essentially having the same display, chip, and overall design. 

Where they've focused this year is on the camera system, which includes new sensors, wider apertures, and even more computational wizardry. If Apple's marketing blurb is to be believed, you'll get up to 2.5 times the low-light performance versus the old camera.

The biggest upgrades this year are reserved for the two Pro models, which receive the latest Apple A16 Bionic chip and a rather innovative software cum hardware compromise for the front camera housing - called the 'Dynamic Island'. This is essentially a much slimmed-down notch that now includes widget and notification support. 

The Pro models also feature a number of camera upgrades, including a 48MP main camera with a 'Quad Pixel' sensor. Again, it's bigger, has tweaked focal lengths for better usability, and should provide an increase in low-light performance.

All devices in the new iPhone 14 range include support for satellite SOS calling, which looks to offer quick and emergency support. Note, Apple has stated that this will be included for free for the first two years of service but will incur a subscription cost afterward.

Should you upgrade to iPhone 14?

It depends on the handset you currently have, and how important it is to you to own the newest iPhone. If you have an iPhone 13, the iPhone 14 doesn’t represent a huge upgrade: the two share the same design, display, and chip. But there are significant camera improvements, and other new features such as satellite SOS calling, which may appeal.

However, if your iPhone 13 handset is in good condition you could potentially trade it in and get an iPhone 14 for free at most US carriers, if your plan will allow you to upgrade. In which case, it’s a no brainer.

If you have an older device, the iPhone 14 is an easier upgrade proposition. That said, once the iPhone 14 goes on sale, the iPhone 13 will cost $699 standard - that's $100 cheaper than the iPhone 14. So if you’re not bothered about having all the very latest features, last year’s flagship may be worth considering instead.

Which iPhone 14 model should you go for?

While it's difficult to give a definite answer before we've finished our hands-on time with the devices, this year more than ever it seems that the iPhone 14 Pro or iPhone 14 Pro Max are the devices to go for if you're looking to upgrade last year's device. 

The Pro range seems to be carrying the most upgrades compared to its predecessor - including a 120Hz refresh rate display, 48MP main camera, 8K video recording, and the upgraded A16 Bionic processor.

The iPhone 14 and 14 Plus have still seen improvements though, particularly on the camera, which includes a new stabilization mode for in-movement film making, battery and the interesting addition of support for satellite SOS calling.

However, if you're still not convinced about spending all that money then it might be worth considering an iPhone 13 or13 Pro Max as it may come with similar features to the base iPhone 14, but at a lower price. 

Which iPhones will see a price cut?

Now that the iPhone 14 has been released we will start to see most of the previous ranges of iPhones somewhat dropping in price. Last year, for example, the iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 Mini saw a drop in price of more than $100/£100 when the iPhone 13 was released. 

Based on that, we might predict a similar drop - although, UK prices seem to be different this year, perhaps due to the Pound being weaker than last year.

When's the best time to buy a cheap iPhone?

That obviously depends on whether you are looking to buy the latest model or if you are interested in one of the previous models. If your aim is to get your hands on one of the fancy new iPhone 14 for cheap, then maybe its worth waiting a few months - Black Friday might be a better time to find some discounts. 

For iPhone 13 and below, however, prices will be dropping in the coming weeks so keep your eyes peeled for some pretty good iPhone deals.