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Staying up in the wee hours of the morning just to lay claim to Apple’s latest and greatest devices has become as ingrained in some people as breathing oxygen or walking. Every year, Apple announces the new iPhone, and every year, people rush to pre-order the handset.
This year looks to be no different, as Apple already announced its new flagship smartphones, the iPhone 6S and 6S Plus. The company announced pre-orders are slated to open this Saturday, September 12, and much like previous years, there is more than one way to claim a pre-order for yourself or someone else. Here’s our complete guide to iPhone 6S and 6S Plus pre-orders.
Apple
Normally, pre-ordering directly from Apple has proven to be very difficult, especially when doing so on the Web. Apple hopes to curtail this frustration and streamline the process by introducing a new website feature called, “Get Ready to Pre-Order.”
This new option, available online and in the Apple Store app, allows would-be customers to enter their wireless account details to confirm available pricing options prior to pre-orders opening on September 12. In other words, Apple will let you select which iPhone model you want, how much storage you want, the color you want to go with, and any additional accessories you might want before checking out.
Of course, we’ll find out whether this new process actually works when pre-orders start at 12:01 a.m. PST this Saturday.
Verizon
If you opt for Big Red, pre-orders for the iPhone 6S and 6S Plus are slated to open at 12:01 a.m. PST this Saturday, September 12. Since pre-orders aren’t open yet, you can submit your email to Verizon to receive updates, though you might want to cancel those updates once Saturday rolls around to avoid further promotional emails.
Keep in mind, however, that Verizon did away with subsidies for new customers, so you’ll have to be content with either paying for either phone on a monthly basis or paying the full cost from the get-go if you’re new to Big Red. Customers who are currently on a contract with Verizon can get the phones at the subsidized cost.
AT&T
AT&T will also open pre-orders for the iPhone 6S and 6S Plus at 12:01 a.m. PST on September 12. Much like Verizon, AT&T will also give customers the ability to receive email updates for both handsets, though keep in mind you will receive updates about Apple products regardless of whether you unsubscribe from AT&T marketing messages.
When pre-orders go live, customers will have the choice of opting for a two-year contract, monthly installment plans, or paying for either the iPhone 6S or 6S Plus outright.
T-Mobile
Out of all the carriers, T-Mobile likely has the most extensive pre-order page for both the iPhone 6S and 6S Plus. If you want email updates on when pre-orders go live, T-Mobile wants your name, email address, and phone number, though the latter is optional.
In addition, T-Mobile asks if you’re an existing T-Mobile and business customer, as well as your preferred language for emails, with the only two options being English and Spanish. Finally, you have the option of receiving marketing messages, though you don’t have to check the box to receive the pre-order update from T-Mobile.
If you do manage to pre-order either the iPhone 6S or 6S Plus, you can either pay for it in monthly installments or pay the full price upfront.
Sprint
Sprint rounds out the four biggest carriers in the United States, with pre-orders going live at 12:01 a.m. PST on September 12. Much like with the other carriers, you can submit your email to Sprint in order to receive an email that lets you know when pre-orders go live.
Again, if you’re not a fan of marketing messages clogging up your inbox, you might want to unsubscribe soon after pre-ordering either iPhone, since it’s easy to forget to do so in the midst of pre-ordering madness. When you do pre-order, by the way, you will have the option of paying for the phone with monthly installment plans, paying the total cost upfront, or leasing either the iPhone 6S or 6S Plus.
Unfortunately, if you wanted to pre-order the iPhone 6S or the 6S Plus through national retailers like Best Buy and Walmart, you’re out of luck. As of this writing, both retailers only have an information page for the handsets and no way to pre-order either handset online. The same goes for Target, with RadioShack not even selling any iPhone except the off-contract 16GB iPhone 5S in gold for Virgin Mobile.
As for the best way to pre-order the iPhone 6S or 6S Plus, recent iPhone releases have seen the Apple Store app produce the best results for would-be customers. Of course, not everyone has an iOS device, but even then, you have plenty of options to pick from. Apple’s website has historically been hammered when it came time to pre-ordering the company’s smartphones, but Apple’s newly streamlined process should hopefully curb that issue to some extent.
Whichever avenue you choose to take to pre-order either handset, a little bit of luck never hurt anyone.
