Apple
iPhone 12 Pro Max Pre-Order: Tips & Tricks
iPhone 12 Pro Max and iPhone 12 mini pre-orders start tomorrow and if you want a specific color or storage size, or you just want your new iPhone as soon as possible, there are some things you can do to ensure you get the precise model you want exactly when you want it.
Pre-orders for the two remaining iPhone 12 models start on Friday morning with an in-store release set for November 13th. Pre-orders begin at 5AM Pacific which means some buyers will have to wake up early to put in an order.
Staying up late or waking up early won’t guarantee you the iPhone 12 Pro Max or iPhone 12 mini model you want. The iPhone often sells out quickly at Apple and other retailers. That was the case with the iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 Pro in October.
There’s been strong demand for the iPhone 12 series and that means we could see iPhone 12 Pro Max and iPhone 12 mini shipping dates get pushed back immediately after pre-orders begin.
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If you want your new iPhone 12 Pro Max or iPhone 12 mini on your doorstep on November 13th, you’ll want to make sure you’re prepared before the Apple Store goes down.
If you’ve decided to pre-order an iPhone 12 Pro Max or iPhone 12 mini, or even if you’re just thinking about it, there are some things you’ll want to do before pre-orders begin.
If you haven’t decided on a specific model or gathered all of the important information necessary to place an order, you might not get the model you want when you want it.
With all of that in mind, allow us to take you through the ways to get the iPhone model you want right away. These will come in handy if this is the first time you’ve pre-ordered an iPhone or if you haven’t been through the process in a while.
Favorite the iPhone 12 Model You Want
Pre-orders don’t go live until tomorrow, but you can go to Apple’s website and favorite the iPhone 12 Pro Max or iPhone 12 mini model you want to pre-order.
If you’re already decided on the model you want, you’ll want to go through the order process on Apple’s website. Here’s how to do that:
- Open up Apple’s iPhone 12 mini or iPhone 12 Pro Max page in your browser or in the Apple Store app.
- Login to the account you’ll be using to pre-order your device.
- Select the model you want to pre-order.
- Select the Color, Storage and how you want to pay.
- Click the little heart next to the “Select” button at the bottom if you’re doing this via Apple’s website. If you’re doing it via the Apple Store app, tap the heart in the upper right.
This will store the iPhone 12 Pro Max/iPhone 12 mini model you want in your Favorites. Once pre-orders go live, simply head to head to your Favorites and tap or click on the model you favorited and order.
Get Online Early
If you’re planning to pre-order an iPhone 12 Pro Max or iPhone 12 mini right when sales begin, make sure you get online before 5AM Pacific.
We always recommend getting online at least 30 minutes before iPhone pre-orders start in your time zone in order to get fully situated.
While you might feel prepared, but there’s always a chance you’ve overlooked something important that could hold up the pre-order process.
You’ll also want to get acquainted with the website you’ll be pre-ordering from so that you know exactly where to go when the pre-order process begins.
We also recommend logging into whatever site you’re planning to buy from ahead of time.
Set an Alarm
If you’re want a very specific version of the iPhone 12 Pro Max or iPhone 12 mini, you might want to set an alarm, just to be safe.
If you plan to go to sleep before pre-orders start you’ll want to set an alarm on your phone (or whatever gadget you use), maybe even a couple of alarms, to make sure you’re awake and functional before pre-orders start.
Check Your Upgrade Status
If you’re planning to buy an iPhone 12 Pro Max or iPhone 12 mini, make sure you double-check your upgrade status before pre-orders begin.
Checking your current upgrade status is easy and only takes a few minutes. Here’s how to check your upgrade online if you’re a customer at Verizon, AT&T, T-Mobile, and U.S. Cellular.
If you’d prefer to talk to someone about your upgrade status, call your carrier’s customer service line before pre-orders start.
Have Your Information Ready
Buying a new iPhone requires more than a credit card number. You’ll need some very specific information on hand.
First off, you’ll need to have your Apple ID and carrier login information (user name, password) ready to go. If you aren’t the primary account holder, make sure you track down this information from your parents or significant other before pre-orders begin.
You’ll also need your Social Security Number (or the account holder’s Social Security Number), and the account billing information handy in order to buy your phone.
Some retailers might require you to ship the device to the primary billing address. So if that’s not your current shipping address, make sure you get that fixed ahead of time.
Use the Apple Store App
The Apple Store app is often the quickest, and easiest, way to pre-order a new iPhone. The app is free to download and it allows you to buy the iPhone the same way you would through the company’s website.
If you can’t get to your computer or if you just want to pre-order from the comfort of your bed, think about using the app.
It’s also worth noting that the Apple Store app allows you to get ready to pre-order. To get started, open up the app and tap on “Start Now” near the top of the screen in the “For You” tab.
From there you can pick the model you want, the color you want, the storage capacity you want, and more. Once you’ve got everything selected you’ll want to tap “Get Ready for the Pre-Order” at the bottom.
Note that in order to get your pre-order right now you’ll need to pay for your device using Apple Card Monthly Installments, the iPhone Upgrade Program, or Apple iPhone Payments.
Pick Out Your Color & Storage Ahead of Time
Don’t wait until the last second to pick your storage and color.
The iPhone 12 mini (64GB, 128GB, and 256GB) and iPhone 12 Pro Max (128GB, 256GB, and 512GB) come in three storage sizes and you’ll want to pick the right one for your needs and budget.
You don’t want to overpay for storage you’ll never use and at the same time, you want to make sure you’re buying enough. Dig into the storage on your current phone and see how much you’re using and decide if you need more or less.
Remember, neither device has a microSD card slot so you’re stuck with the internal storage and Apple’s iCloud solution if you wind up needing more space.
You’ll also want to have a color selected ahead of time to speed up the process.
Have a Backup Payment Plan
Make sure you have a backup payment option handy in case the card you use to pre-order gets flagged by your bank or credit card company.
If you don’t regularly make purchases at Apple or if you typically don’t use the card, your credit card company might flag the purchase and that could hold up your pre-order.
If you aren’t prepared, it could cause a delay and prevent you from getting the model you want.
You Can Buy AppleCare Later
You might be tempted to buy AppleCare with your new iPhone. There are some great reasons to do this, but some of you might want to hold off.
If you’re unfamiliar with AppleCare, it’s Apple’s extended warranty service. Many of you will eventually want to get it, but you don’t have to make that decision during the pre-order process.
If you don’t have time to research AppleCare before you pre-order, you’ll want to put in the time after you buy your device. If you aren’t familiar with the service and its benefits, hold off until you’ve been able to weigh the pros and cons.
Apple now gives users in the U.S. and Canada up to one year to buy AppleCare which means you’ll be able to buy your phone and snag the service later if you decide you want it.
Look for Deals & Lock In a Trade-in Price
If you’re planning to get rid of your old phone, make sure you take a look at sites like Gazelle and NextWorth and see what kind of price you can lock in for your phone.
Trade-in values will start to fluctuate so the sooner you lock in a price the better. Remember, locking in a trade doesn’t mean you need to go through with the sale.
Apple and many of its partners are offering iPhone trade-in deals and you should investigate those before you commit to buying an iPhone 12 Pro Max or iPhone 12 mini at full price.
Remember that you’ll need a phone in pristine condition if you want to get the maximum amount back for your device. That’s why you’ll probably want to shop around.
Unfortunately, we may not see straight price cuts on the new iPhone models for awhile. If you don’t have a device in good condition to trade-in, and you don’t want to pay full price, you might want to wait a few weeks or, in some cases, until next year to buy your iPhone 12.
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If security is important to you, think about installing iOS 14.8.1 right away. The iOS 14.8.1 update brings 12 new security patches to the iPhone. You can read about all of them over on Apple's site. If you want to better protect your iPhone and its data, you'll want to install the iOS 14.8.1 update in the near future. If you missed iOS 14.8, you'll get its security patches with your upgrade. You can learn more about them right here. If you missed iOS 14.7.1, you'll get its patch with your upgrade. If you want to learn more about iOS 14.7.1's security update, check out its support page. If you missed iOS 14.7, you'll get its 31 security patches with your upgrade. You can learn more about those on Apple's website. If you skipped iOS 14.6, you'll get the update's 38 security patches with your iOS 14.8.1 update. If you're curious about the particulars, you can read about them right here. If you skipped iOS 14.5.1, you get the update's two security patches on board. You can read about them over on Apple's website. Both are related to WebKit. If you missed iOS 14.5 you'll get its patches with your upgrade. You can read more about those changes over on Apple's website. iOS 14.5 also brought Apple's new App Tracking Transparency which lets you control which apps are allowed to track your activity across other companies' apps and websites for ads or sharing with data brokers. If you skipped iOS 14.4.2, you get its security patch with iOS 14.8.1. You can learn more about that patch over on Apple's website as well. If you missed iOS 14.4.1, you get its patch with your upgrade to iOS 14.8.1. You can read about that patch right here. If you skipped iOS 14.4, you get the update's patches with your upgrade. You can learn more about iOS 14.4's security patches right here. If you skipped iOS 14.3 you'll get its nine security updates with your upgrade. You can read more about them on its security site. iOS 14.3 also included a new privacy information section on App Store pages that includes a developer-reported summary of the app’s privacy practices. If you skipped iOS 14.2, your iOS 14.8.1 update includes 24 additional security patches. You can learn more about the patches on Apple's security website. If you're still running iOS 13, iOS 14.8.1 includes iOS 14.0's security updates. iOS 14.0 brought 11 new security patches to the iPhone. If you're interested in the exact nature of these improvements, you can read about them over on Apple's website. In addition to those patches, iOS 14 comes with some security and privacy upgrades including improvements to Home/HomeKit and Safari. For instance in Safari, you can now tap the Privacy Report button to better understand how websites handle your privacy. With iOS 14 on board you can now get information on the App Store that will help you understand the privacy practices of apps before you download them. There is also a new recording indicator that will appear at the top of your screen whenever an app is using your microphone or camera. You can see if an app has used them recently in Control Center. Researchers also discovered that Apple brought a new "BlastDoor" sandbox security system to iOS 14. The system is meant to prevent attacks from occurring via the Messages app. You can read more about "BlastDoor" right here. | |||||||||||||||||
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