A day after Apple began accepting pre-orders for the iPhone 8, iPhone 8 Plus, and Apple Watch Series 3, the first orders have shifted to "preparing for shipment" ahead of a promised Friday, September 22 delivery date.
Apple began preparing Apple Watch Series 3 orders starting yesterday afternoon, while the order status of the iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus appears to have started changing this afternoon. Apple TV 4K orders have not yet updated to preparing for shipment, but that should happen soon.
Pre-orders for all three devices started at 12:01 a.m. Pacific Time on Friday, September 15. While some SIM-free and T-Mobile iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus models sold out relatively early for home shipping, supplies of other devices have remained strong. It should be no problem to pop into an Apple Store on launch day and pick up an iPhone 8 or 8 Plus.
It may be more difficult to get one of the new Apple Watch Series 3 models with LTE connectivity, as several configurations did sell out and list shipment dates of a few weeks. In-store pickup is also unavailable for these models. Non-LTE models are, however, readily available.
Orders that have been updated to "preparing for shipment" status should begin officially shipping out over the course of the next day or two. The first orders will arrive on Friday, September 22, with customers in New Zealand and Australia being among the first to get their hands on the new devices.
Update: Apple TV 4K orders have now started shifting to Preparing for Shipment too.
Thursday February 5, 2026 12:54 pm PST by Joe Rossignol
Apple turns 50 this year, and its CEO Tim Cook has promised to celebrate the milestone. The big day falls on April 1, 2026.
"I've been unusually reflective lately about Apple because we have been working on what do we do to mark this moment," Cook told employees today, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. "When you really stop and pause and think about the last 50 years, it makes your heart ...
Thursday February 5, 2026 12:22 pm PST by Joe Rossignol
Apple plans to announce the iPhone 17e on Thursday, February 19, according to Macwelt, the German equivalent of Macworld.
The report, citing industry sources, is available in English on Macworld.
Apple announced the iPhone 16e on Wednesday, February 19 last year, so the iPhone 17e would be unveiled exactly one year later if this rumor is accurate. It is quite uncommon for Apple to unveil...
Friday February 6, 2026 3:06 pm PST by Juli Clover
In the iOS 26.4 update that's coming this spring, Apple will introduce a new version of Siri that's going to overhaul how we interact with the personal assistant and what it's able to do.
The iOS 26.4 version of Siri won't work like ChatGPT or Claude, but it will rely on large language models (LLMs) and has been updated from the ground up.
Upgraded Architecture
The next-generation...
Tuesday February 3, 2026 7:47 am PST by Joe Rossignol
While the iOS 26.3 Release Candidate is now available ahead of a public release, the first iOS 26.4 beta is likely still at least a week away. Following beta testing, iOS 26.4 will likely be released to the general public in March or April.
Below, we have recapped known or rumored iOS 26.3 and iOS 26.4 features so far.
iOS 26.3
iPhone to Android Transfer Tool
iOS 26.3 makes it easier...
The iPhone 18 Pro Max will feature a bigger battery for continued best-in-class battery life, according to a known Weibo leaker.
Citing supply chain information, the Weibo user known as "Digital Chat Station" said that the iPhone 18 Pro Max will have a battery capacity of 5,100 to 5,200 mAh. Combined with the efficiency improvements of the A20 Pro chip, made with TSMC's 2nm process, the...
pre ordering the iPhone X will be easy, as long as your pre order gets in within 3.5 seconds after pre orders go live on the 27th of Oct. Any moment after those 3.5 seconds, and you will be get an email half an hour later from Apple with your estimated shipping time: ''March 22-29, 2018'' ;)
Goodluck!! for those getting iPhone 8, I am waiting and will get iPhone X. To me iPhone 8 Plus doesn't seem big upgrade over my iPhone 7 Plus. ------------------------ Edit :- Pictures of iPhone 8 packaging
Goodluck for those getting iPhone 8, I am waiting and will get iPhone X. To me iPhone 8 Plus doesn't seem big upgrade over my iPhone 7 Plus.
Same here. But, to be honest, I am dreading October 27th at 3AM (Eastern). I have a feeling it'll be a cluster**** and Apple's servers (as well as the carriers) are gonna crash and we'll see ship dates slipping almost immediately. The anticipation for this new phone, combined with the very tight supply, is going to leave a lot of people upset.
