iPhone 6 Pre-Orders: 5 Things Buyers Need to Know Tonight

In just a few short hours, Apple and its partners will start offering iPhone 6 pre-orders and iPhone 6 Plus pre-orders. With very little time left, we want to hammer home the most important things prospective iPhone buyers need to know about tonight’s iPhone 6 pre-orders.

On Tuesday, Apple finally took the stage to announce this year’s new iPhone release. The company’s brand new smartphone is dubbed iPhone 6 and it will be coming in two different versions: The 4.7-inch iPhone 6 and the larger 5.5-inch iPhone 6 Plus. The two will take over the flagship role from last year’s iPhone 5s and push the iPhone 5c down to Apple’s free on-contract slot.

Apple’s new iPhones both come with sleek and slim metal designs, A8 processor, upgraded cameras including Optical Image Stabilization on the iPhone 6 Plus, tons of storage options, Retina HD displays, a number of different price points, major U.S. carrier options, and Apple’s new iOS 8 operating system. Apple’s two new iPhones are expected to generate a lot of excitement, and a lot of sales, in the weeks ahead.

At this week’s launch event, Apple confirmed many of the other pertinent iPhone details including the iPhone 6 release date and the iPhone 6 pre-order date. As expected, the gap between the iPhone 6 announcement and the iPhone 6 pre-order date is extremely tight and its virtually no wiggle room for those on the fence about an upgrade.

With so many people on the fence about the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus and with buyers stressing about Apple’s iPhone 6 pre-orders, we want to take a look at the five most important things iPhone 6 buyers need to know about the iPhone 6 pre-order. These are the things you absolutely must keep in mind as you prepare for tonight’s frenzy.

iPhone 6 Pre-Orders Start at Midnight

The most important thing you need to know about iPhone 6 pre-orders tonight is that iPhone 6 pre-orders do, in fact, start this evening. Late in the evening for many of you.

At the stroke of midnight, the iPhone 6 will go on sale through Apple Stores and through AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile, and Verizon. Those looking to buy on the big four will be able to put an order in for the iPhone 6 and the iPhone 6 Plus. All models will be available and unlike a Samsung smartphone launch, all colors will be available as well.

Those looking to snag the iPhone 6 or iPhone 6 Plus for another carrier or from another retailer will have to wait.

Make Sure You’re Eligible

Before you head into tonight’s iPhone 6 pre-order, you will need to ensure that you’re eligible for an upgrade. If you are eligible, your appropriate carrier store will alert you to this fact. If you’re not eligible to upgrade, it will tell you when you’ll become eligible for a new phone. Occasionally, we’ve seen carriers push upgrades up to coincide with the iPhone 6 launch but we unfortunately haven’t seen that this year.

There are ways out of a contract. One way is through an ETF or Early Termination Fee. If you discover that you’re still on contract, you can pay an ETF to get out of the contract. These fees are based on the time left on the contract. The closer you are to your upgrade date, the better. Those who just signed a new contract are going to have to shell out a ton of money, hundreds of dollars.

iPhone 6 Sell Out Expected

It’s impossible to say how much iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus stock Apple and its partners have on hand for tonight’s pre-order but we’ll say this. The iPhone pre-order almost always sells out. Shipping times typically move from days to weeks in just a few short hours which puts a ton of importance on this early order date.

In the build up to tonight’s pre-order, we’ve heard that the iPhone 6 Plus stock could be very low. We heard similar rumors about last year’s gold iPhone 5s and they turned out to be true so there’s a chance that they could be spot on. If you are looking to get the bigger iPhone 6 Plus, you’ll want to show up early and be ready to order as soon as the device goes on sale.

We’re expecting the gold, 16GB models to sell out the fastest and we should see both iPhone 6 variants sell out before Friday is over.

Where You Order Matters

If you’re a free agent and you’re still trying to decide where to take your iPhone 6 or iPhone 6 Plus, remember that the location you order at will matter. This encompasses a few different things.

First, carrier websites are far more confusing and historically less reliable than Apple’s website. If you choose to go thru AT&T’s website or Verizon’s website, you could encounter issues. We highly recommend Apple’s App Store application. We’ve had success with it in the past and it’s far more reliable than carrier sites.

Second, there are different options are different carriers. For instance, the Apple Store allows you to pre-order for in-store pickup on September 19th if you don’t want to wait for a delivery. Sprint will allow you to lease your new iPhone 6 and Verizon is offering a trade-in for old iPhones that drops the price of the 16GB iPhone 6 down to free.

Take a look at your options before you order.

You Don’t Need to Pre-Order Tonight

Finally, know that you don’t need to stay up late or wake up early for tomorrow’s pre-order. Not only will retailers like Best Buy, RadioShack and Walmart offer pre-orders starting at 9AM tomorrow morning but you’ll also have the opportunity to buy the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus at Apple Stores, carrier stores and retail locations on September 19th.

This is extremely important to note because it means that will be the first day you’ll be able to go hands-on with the iPhone 6 or the iPhone 6 Plus. For those that aren’t familiar with the iPhone or the iPhone 6, it’s imperative that you become familiar with the hardware and software before buying into the iPhone and Apple’s ecoysystem.

Sure, the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus will probably sell out but Apple’s supply lines are so good that they’ll probably be restocked in a few weeks ahead of Black Friday and the holiday shopping season.

Don’t panic and make sure you’re confident before tonight’s pre-order. If you feel any hesitation at all, sleep on it, and plan your smartphone purchase for another time. There’s no sense in throwing money at money if you’re not sure. The iPhone 6 is not cheap (starts at $199.99) and the iPhone 6 Plus is far more expensive ($299.99).

The iPhone isn’t going anywhere, folks.