iPhone 18 Pro, iPhone 18 Pro Max Pre-Orders May Be Pushed To September 12: All You Need To Know

Apple is doing a lot of things differently this year. It is rumoured to be launching only the Pro models of the iPhone 18 series at the September 9 event's, a foldable iPhone is finally launching, and now the company is also changing its pre-order schedule timeline. Theusual iPhone pre-order timeline could see a rare shift this year, with a new report suggesting bookings for the iPhone 18 Pro lineup may open a day later than the company's typical Friday slot.

A Saturday start instead of Friday

Apple is expected to unveil the iPhone 18 Pro, iPhone 18 Pro Max, and its first foldable device, reportedly named the iPhone Ultra, at an event on September 9. Pre-orders traditionally follow two days later, which this year would fall on September 11. However, German publication Macwelt reports that Apple will hold off by a day and open pre-orders on September 12 instead, since September 11 marks a day of remembrance in the US.

The report also points to a possible change in timing. Rather than Apple's customary 5 am PT opening, pre-orders could begin at midnight PT on September 12, translating to roughly 12:30 pm IST for buyers in India. This isn't unprecedented. Apple followed a similar pattern in 2015, opening iPhone 6S pre-orders on a Saturday, September 12, right after 9/11 fell on a Friday that year.

The report adds that the same rescheduled window would likely apply to the Apple Watch Series 12 and Apple Watch Ultra 4, though the foldable iPhone Ultra may follow a separate, later pre-order timeline altogether, as earlier reports have repeatedly suggested.

What else to expect at the September event

The launch, set for 10 am PT (10:30 pm IST) at Apple Park's Steve Jobs Theater, will double as the first major product unveiling under incoming CEO John Ternus, who takes over from Tim Cook on September 1. Cook will transition to the role of executive chairman after 15 years leading the company.

This year's event may also skip the standard iPhone 18 and a second-generation iPhone Air, with both rumoured to be delayed to 2027, leaving the Pro models and the foldable Ultra as the headline launches. The iPhone 18 Pro series is tipped to carry a smaller Dynamic Island, new colour options, and Apple's A20 Pro chip built on a 2nm process, while the foldable Ultra is expected to mirror a book-style design similar to Samsung's Galaxy Z Fold 8.