Order an iPhone 15 Pro right now and you could be waiting weeks for it to arrive

(Image credit: Apple)

iPHONE 15: What you need to know

Teaser image for Apple Wonderlust event — (Image credit: Apple)

- Apple Event - LIVE reaction
- iPhone 15
- iPhone 15 Pro /iPhone 15 Pro Max
- Apple Watch Series 9 / Ultra 2
- iOS 17
- watchOS 10

The iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max preorders are now live, but you might have to wait a while for your new handset to arrive if you haven't already placed an order by now.

While people struggled to get the online Apple Store to work following the opening of preorders this morning, it seems enough people have been able to get their orders in to cause stocks to dwindle. Ordering one of Apple's best iPhones now means you're very unlikely to get it delivered on September 22.

In fact, depending on the configuration you choose today you might be waiting well into October before your new handset arrives on your doorstep.

Better wait than never

As an example, ordering a new iPhone 15 Pro Max right now will see delivery estimates of up to three weeks after the September 22 release date across most colors and storage configurations. Things are better if you're choosing an iPhone 15 Pro, although even then you're still likely to have to wait longer than those who were super-quick at placing their preorder.

Natural Titanium base storage iPhone 15 Pro ship dates are already slipping. Now Oct 2 - Oct 4. Apple Store pick up is still available for Sept 22 in some locations though. pic.twitter.com/cDtcqymxQ5September 15, 2023

Those buying the iPhone 15 Pro Max are undoubtedly facing the biggest delays, however. While people who were able to get their orders in early had no issues with shipping delays, those who found that the Apple Store website and Apple Store apps wouldn't refresh properly found themselves set for a longer wait for their new models to arrive.

The iPhone 15 Pro Max in all colors and most storage capacities models has already slipped into October for deliveries. In-store availability remains though.September 15, 2023

Stock shortages on new iPhone days are nothing new of course. But the difficulties some had in placing their orders does make for a bad taste in the mouth when others were seemingly able to sail through the checkout processes without an issue.

Our suggestion? Start checking for iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max availability at your local stores rather than wait for online delivery times to improve.

We're covering all the Apple iPhone 15 event news and reactions now that Wonderlust is over. Don't miss all our iPhone 15, iPhone 15 Pro, iPhone 15 Pro Max, Apple Watch Series 9, Apple Watch Ultra 2, iOS 17and watchOS 10 coverage so far.

Oliver Haslam has written about Apple and the wider technology business for more than a decade with bylines on How-To Geek, PC Mag, iDownloadBlog, and many more. He has also been published in print for Macworld, including cover stories. At iMore, Oliver is involved in daily news coverage and, not being short of opinions, has been known to 'explain' those thoughts in more detail, too. Having grown up using PCs and spending far too much money on graphics card and flashy RAM, Oliver switched to the Mac with a G5 iMac and hasn't looked back. Since then he's seen the growth of the smartphone world, backed by iPhone, and new product categories come and go. Current expertise includes iOS, macOS, streaming services, and pretty much anything that has a battery or plugs into a wall. Oliver also covers mobile gaming for iMore, with Apple Arcade a particular focus. He's been gaming since the Atari 2600 days and still struggles to comprehend the fact he can play console quality titles on his pocket computer.