Apple Store Fifth Avenue New YorkSource: Apple

What you need to know

  • Apple is offering free two-hour delivery on some orders.
  • iPhones, iPads, Macs, and Apple Watches are available.
  • Buyers need to live in a "metro area" and not use financing or bank transfer as payment.

Apple is offering shoppers the chance to get last-minute Christmas gifts in double-quick time via a free-two-hour delivery offer. Buyers can pick up a new Mac, iPhone, iPad, or Apple Watch and have their order delivered to them for free so long as they happen to live in "most metro areas."

The move, which mimics one Apple has been making for the last couple of years, means that people won't need to head into an Apple Store to get that Christmas gift. That's a big deal at a time where the COVID-19 pandemic means people are likely less keen to make a trip to a mall.

In most metro areas, you can get free two-hour courier delivery on eligible in-stock items when you order online by 12:00 p.m. on 12/24/21.

There are, as ever, caveats. While you can buy an iPhone 13, for example, anyone wanting something like an AirTag is out of luck. Only specific products are included as part of this offer and even then, only if you live in the right part of the country. For obvious reasons, things like engraving aren't possible and you're limited in how you can pay. Apple says that the offer is not available for certain order types including orders paid for with financing or by bank transfer.

If you're good with all that, this might just be the best iPhone buying experience yet. Just place an order and your new iPhone will be with you more quickly than anything Amazon can manage — and you can do it all from the Apple website or via the Apple Store iPhone and iPad app, too.