Apple iPhone 14 preorders: opening times and how to secure a device early

Apple iPhone 14 preorders: opening times and how to secure a device early

After months of speculation and rumors we now know for certain that iPhone 14 preorders will be opening this Friday. 

Apple itself confirmed this during the 'Far Out' Apple event this Wednesday so it's time to get prepped if you're looking to snag a device as soon as possible. With under 48 hours to go until iPhone 14 preorders open, we've packed this page with as much useful information and expert guidance as possible.

Whether the decision to upgrade or not is ultimately up to you, we can certainly help you if you're looking to be an early adopter. Just below you can find key timings for each timezone and our predictions for Friday in regards to retailers. 

As an overview, iPhone 14 preorders this year will open at 5AM PST and cover four separate devices. We're getting the standard iPhone 14, an iPhone 14 Pro model, a premium iPhone 14 Pro Max model, and a new iPhone 14 Max model. While pre-orders are going live this Friday, devices are set to be delivered on the official launch day, which is next Friday - 16th September. 

iPhone 14 preorders live on Friday 9th Sept

iPhone 14 preorders will be opening worldwide at 5AM PST this Friday. 

Apple operates at California time, so bear that in mind if you're looking to snap up an iPhone 14 preorder as it could mean an early start.

For reference, we've attached a small list of corresponding time zones so you're not caught off guard when they open. Note, the pre-orders window will remain open until the devices officially launch on Friday 16th.

Pre-register your interest before Friday

Here's a little trick that you can do at the Apple store. The brand has actually already opened its pages for the iPhone 14 (opens in new tab) and iPhone 14 Pro (opens in new tab) models. Right now, the buy buttons are greyed out but Apple usually opens a kind of 'register your interest' feature that allows you to put in your credentials if you have an Apple account. This will then notify you on Friday for confirmation - essentially making it very quick and easy to purchase.

Note, this trick doesn't work if you're looking to pick up a device via one of the big carriers. Their deals will go live on Friday and are probably worth holding out for if you're really interested in upgrading. Verizon in particular sometimes offers exclusive promotions like buy-one get-ones via its own site. 

(Image credit: Apple)

iPhone 14 preorders: cost

• iPhone 14 - $799 / £849
• iPhone 14 Plus- $899 / £949
• iPhone 14 Pro - $999 / £1,099
• iPhone 14 Pro Max - $1,099 / £1,199

The standard iPhone 14 is debuting at $799, which is exactly the same as last year's model and what we predicted here at TechRadar. Gone this year is the old mini model, replaced with a new iPhone 14 Plus model. This one is essentially an upscaled version of the standard device and costs $899.

 The iPhone 14 Pro and 14 Pro Max are debuting at $999 and $1,099, which is again the same price as last year's models.

If you're in the UK, unfortunately there have been a few price increases across the board - from £779 to £849 on the standard device for example. We'd probably put this down to exchange rates since the pound is weaker against the dollar this year.

iPhone 14 preorders: key features

• iPhone 14 and 14 Plus
• 6.1" and 6.7" display
• Same A15 Bionic chip as before
• Huge camera upgrades (bigger sensors, better low light)
• Satellite emergency SOS calling
• iPhone 14 Pro and 14 Pro Max
• 6.1" and 6.7" display
• New A16 Bionic chip
• New 'Dynamic Island' front camera housing
• Always on display with redesigned widgets
• 48MP main camera with quad-pixel sensor

Apple is very much doing its usual iterative upgrade with the standard iPhone 14 and new 14 Plus model, with essentially the same display, chip, and overall design. Where they've focused on this year is 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 2.5x 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 cost a subscription afterward.

iPhone 14 preorders: retailers

• United States:
• Apple
• Best Buy
• Verizon
• T-Mobile
• Walmart
• United Kingdom:
• Affordable Mobiles
• Apple
• Carphone Warehouse
• Currys
• Mobiles.co.uk

Just above is a very quick snapshot of the retailers we expect to offer iPhone 14 preorders on Friday in both the US and UK. Many of these brands should have launch promotions to check out so you'll be spoilt for choice. 

Overall, Apple tends to be most popular retailer - especially in the US - so it's definitely worth being ready at the official site if you're looking for an unlocked device specifically. 

What kind of deals are we expecting?

Apple has already confirmed most of the big carrier deals in the US, which are all offering the usual trade-in rebates of around $800 to $1,000 as a maximum saving. This is enough to get some of the iPhone 14 devices for free but obviously this is going to depend on the quality and eligible of your trade. 

iPhone 14 promotions for the UK haven't been confirmed yet (we'll update this page if they are), so it's a little hard to predict for certain what's going to happen on Friday.

Apple generally offers around £400 to £500 off with a trade-in and most unlocked retailers should match this offer. For mobile tariffs, we expect somewhere between £40 to £50 per month to be around where the standard device will sit when paired with a 100GB data plan.  

How long until iPhone 14 preorders are delivered? 

• Friday 16th September:
• iPhone 14
• iPhone 14 Pro
• iPhone 14 Pro Max
• Friday 7th October:
• iPhone 14 Plus

The first iPhone 14 pre-orders are set to be delivered on Friday 16th September, which is when all four of the devices are officially launched. If you're looking to pick up your device in-store, this is when Apple and most leading retailers will have devices to check out on the shop floor.  For some reason, Apple has pushed back its launch date for the iPhone 14 Plus model this year, so you'll have to wait a bit longer if you're looking for this model specifically.

We're uncertain as to the cause in the delay for this model specifically but we'll update the page with any confirmed updates.

Is an iPhone 14 preorder really necessary?

We'd advocate a pre-order if you're a die-hard Apple fan looking to get your device as soon as possible. Not only are pre-order promotions generally pretty good but you'll make sure you secure a device at launch - and skip out those horrible queues at the Apple Store.

Generally speaking, Apple has a good track record of making sure early adopters can get their hands on a device at launch. That said, there were some cases last year where specific models and variants of the iPhone 13 faced delivery backlogs due to demand - especially the higher storage capacity version of the iPhone 13 Pro and 13 Pro Max. Apple never lists its devices as 'sold out', instead it pushes back the expected delivery date of products - Verizon has a similar process, too.

Very quickly after the iPhone 13 was put up for preorder we saw delivery dates being pushed back to early October, especially on the Pro models. It's hard to say how much of this was due to increased demand or the ongoing chip crisis at the time (there were reports of fewer iPhones being produced), but there were in some extreme cases wait times of up to three weeks. It's also worth noting that there was another surge of demand around Black Friday.

Based on the iPhone 13 launch, we'd say it's best to play it safe and be fairly quick off the mark with your iPhone 14 preorder - particularly if you're looking for one of the Pro models. While it's unlikely we'll see Apple listing the iPhone 14 as 'sold out', it could push back delivery dates.