The iPhone X, Apple’s boldest and most exciting iPhone update in years, is about to go on sale. That’s the good news. But the bad news is that supply isn’t expected to meet demand – not by a long way – and many people who try to pre-order the iPhone X will be disappointed.
In this article we try to help you ensure you’re not one of them, with our advice on how to buy an iPhone X and beat the rush.
If you’d like to know more about the best retailers to buy the iPhone X from, take a look at our roundup of the best iPhone X deals.
When does the iPhone X go on sale?
The iPhone X becomes available for pre-order on Apple’s website (and those of third-party retailers) on 27 Oct – that’s tomorrow!
What time do pre-orders open?
At 8am, UK time. (Well, officially 8.01am, if that extra minute makes a lot of difference to you.)
Set the alarm for 7am and make sure you’ve got everything ready well in advance – time is of the essence here.
For our US readers, preorders start at midnight Pacific Time, or 3am if you’re on the east coast.
Pre-ordering tips
There’s a certain amount of luck involved, and you may do everything right and still miss out on an iPhone X. But those of us who’ve been through this process year after year have picked up a few tips on how to improve your chances. Here’s what we’ll be doing on preorder day.
Use the Apple Store app
If you’re pre-ordering direct from Apple, you should use the Apple Store app rather than visiting Apple’s website in a browser. The app is more reliable (the website may crash under the strain) and faster.
Clear the cache
If you do pre-order through a browser – if you’re not able to reach a device that’s compatible with the app, or you want to pre-order from a phone service provider – then make sure you clear the cache at 8am and from time to time afterwards. If you don’t, the website may continue to show ‘not available yet’ for a short time after it’s been updated and other people are starting to order.
If you’re using the app, close it down completely and reopen.
Don’t assume your phone is reserved
On a lot of e-commerce sites, the important thing is how quickly you get on to the site and click on the buy button – once you’ve done this, you have a certain amount of time to fill in your details, and the product remains ‘reserved’ provided you complete the order within 20 minutes, say.
But things are a little different in this case, because we’re not just trying to place an order, we’re trying to place an order as early as possible so that the estimated shipping date is good. And our sense, based on past experience, is that dithering about your iPhone’s storage capacity, colour finish etc, may affect the date you get at the end of the process.
Clearly you shouldn’t rush madly when filling in important bank details etc, but equally we would advise against logging on early, clicking the buy button and then going off to make a cup of tea because the phone is reserved. And also…
Pick a model in advance
…for similar reasons it’s a good idea to decide in advance exactly which model you want to order. Settle on a colour, and think about how much storage you need. You don’t want to be second-guessing your decision mid-order.
However… experienced iPhone buyers recommend having a ‘backup choice’ to fall back on if things don’t work out with the first. Remember that the time to think about whether you’re prepared to make the sacrifice – managing with less storage, paying a little more – is not, not at 8am tomorrow morning.
The Space Grey colour finish with the lower storage option (64GB) will almost certainly be the most popular model, and you may find that people who pick different models get more favourable shipping dates. But this isn’t guaranteed (Apple will know this is likely to be popular, and get in a larger supply) and with a purchase as costly as this we wouldn’t recommend going for a model you don’t like just on the off chance that it’s more easily obtainable.
Have all your details ready
Make sure you know which card you’ll be using pay, and where you want the phone delivered.
The ideal situation is to have as much of this information as possible saved in advance. It may be worth going through the motions of buying one the currently available iPhone models today (don’t leave it too late – remember that Apple shuts down its store ahead of a big launch) without completing the purchase.
This will expose any bits of information you’ll need and which it turns out you don’t have to hand, and the Apple Store will save a lot of the details so things move more efficiently when you do it for real. (If you’re using a browser this may offer to save addresses, contact details etc too.)
Prepare the ground with your bank
This is a big purchase, and you should check your budget – and establish exactly how much you can afford to spend on this item – now, not while you’re ordering. This is a good way to make sure you don’t panic and upgrade to the 256GB model at 8.03am tomorrow, then regret it next month.
More pertinently, it’s a good idea to get in touch with your credit card company today and warn them of your plan. If they know you’re about to spend a large amount of money they can make sure the payment isn’t declined in the heat of the moment.
iPhone Upgrade Program
This is probably too late for this year if you’re not already a member, but those who are signed up with Apple’s iPhone Upgrade Program can get a bit of a head start on iPhone X orders by applying for pre-approval.
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