The iPhone 5C is now up for pre-order through most carriers and many stores, and you’ve got less than a week before the iPhone 5S goes on sale. So here’s the dilemma: where are they being sold, how much for, and is anyone offering a better deal than someone else? We’ve put together a guide to help you secure your new iPhone, regardless of which model you’ve chosen, quickly and painlessly.
Not everyone has released details on their plans for the new iPhone, particularly about the 5S, so we’ll be updating as all the details are made official.
Updated on 9-16-2013 by Andy: Added pre-order information, pricing, and trade-in offers for the iPhone 5C at Walmart, RadioShack, Target, and Amazon. Other details added to Apple’s shipping dates.
How to order from Apple.com
Apple’s website is arguably the easiest place to get your new iPhone, as you don’t even need to leave the house. You can also walk into any Apple store and order the phones once they are out.
iPhone 5C: Pre-order Sept. 13
Pre-order date: Available from September 13.
Carriers: Locked to AT&T, Verizon, or Sprint.
Price: Fixed at $100 for the 16GB model, and $200 for the 32GB 5C, provided you get a two-year contract. If you’d prefer it unlocked and without a contract, the price alters to $560 and $650 respectively, and it can be ordered with a T-Mobile SIM ready to connect.
Shipping time: Delivery times are still listed as September 20 for all colors, but there are reports of these dates slipping to October 4, although at the time of writing it’s not showing up for us.
iPhone 5S: Order Sept. 20, or line up
Pre-order date: Oddly, Apple has decided not to offer a pre-order on the iPhone 5S, and instead you’ll have to queue up on September 20 with everyone else if you want one on launch day.
Carriers: Locked to AT&T, Verizon, or Sprint.
Price: The prices are the same as all previous iPhone devices, with the 16GB yours for $200, the 32GB for $300, and the 64GB for $400, again with a two-year contract. If your wallet is stuffed, then an unconnected, SIM-free phone may be the way to go. It’s going to cost you $650 for the 16GB, $750 for the 332GB, and a massive $850 for the 64GB.
Shipping time: No date has been confirmed yet, but the choice to pick up the phone from your local Apple store on September 20 is there.
How to order from AT&T
Head over to AT&T’s website and you can pre-order the iPhone 5C right now.
iPhone 5C
Pre-order date: From September 13 through this special page.
Price: AT&T has two ways to purchase the iPhone 5C. On its standard two-year contract the 16GB phone will cost $100 on a two-year contract, with the 32GB priced at $200. If you’d prefer to select AT&T Next, then the 16GB is free with 20 monthly payments of $22, and the 32GB is $27 per month, both plus your tariff.
Shipping time/In-store: September 20
iPhone 5S
Pre-order date: None
Price: Like the iPhone 5C, the iPhone 5S can be purchased with a two-year contract or on AT&T Next. On a two-year contract, the 16GB iPhone 5S is $200, the 32GB $300, and the 64GB is $400. Select AT&T Next, and there’s no down payment, just 20 monthly payments of $27 for the 16GB, $32 for the 32GB, and $37 for the 64GB. Upgrades are possible after a year.
Shipping time/In-store: Like the Apple store it’ll probably be September 20
How to order from Verizon
Verizon’s iPhone 5C pre-order page is now live, and it’s offering not only the phone, but a few packages with some extras too.
iPhone 5C
Pre-order date: Confirmed as September 13 at 03:01 EST, and available now.
Price: There are six bundles to choose from if you want the iPhone 5C on a two-year contract. The 16GB phone is $100 and the 32GB is $200, but if you’d like a case (there’s a choice of a clear or black silicone option), along with a screen protector and an in-car charger, then the price increases to $150 and $250 respectively.
Select Verizon Edge, and the 16GB iPhone 5C is $23 per month, and the 32GB phone is $27, plus your tariff. The package deals aren’t available if you choose Edge. Finally, there’s Verizon’s month-t0-month plans. Here, the 16GB iPhone 5C costs $550 and the 32GB $650. If you want the special bundle with the case, protector and charger, then add another $50 to each of those prices.
Shipping time/In-store: September 20.
iPhone 5S
Pre-order date: None officially yet, although it’s not clearly stated on the website if the September 13 pre-order is on for the iPhone 5C.
Price: It’s not official yet, but expect $200/$300/$400 for the phone, depending on the memory.
Shipping time/In-store: Get ready for September 20.
How to order from T-Mobile
Outspoken T-Mobile CEO John Legere has been tweeting about the impending arrival of the new iPhone on his network for a few days, even before it was announced, and sure enough there’s a press release already up on the site. Not that it gives much information, only that the 5C is coming soon.
iPhone 5C
Pre-order date: September 13, and the page is now live.
Price: The 16GB iPhone 5C will be offered for free with 24 monthly payments of $22, plus your monthly tariff. If you want the 32GB model, you’re going to have to pay $100 up front, then $23 per month for 24 months. Cheekily, there’s a $10 charge for a SIM started kit too.
Shipping time/In-store: September 20
iPhone 5S
Pre-order date: None
Price: T-Mobile’s dedicated iPhone 5S page states the phone has an initial cost of $100, followed by 24 monthly payments of $23 per month, plus your chosen tariff. It’s not stated which model this applies to, but we’d imagine it’s the 16GB iPhone 5S.
Shipping time/In-store: September 20 will be the day, but official confirmation has yet to be confirmed.
How to order from Sprint
Sprint was the first to have a pre-order time for the iPhone 5C on its website, and it’s also the only one to warn of possible delivery delays. When you go to pre-order the phone, there’s a special notice saying, “We’ll do our best to get it to you by September 20, but because of high demand, some phones will ship in up to two weeks.” It also says the 32GB iPhone 5C in yellow may take up to three weeks.
iPhone 5C
Pre-order date: September 13 is confirmed, and the page is live.
Price: The 16GB iPhone 5C is free on a two-year contract if you’re a new customer, while the 32GB phone is $100.
Shipping time/In-store: September 20 is the big day.
iPhone 5S
Pre-order date: None
Price: Sprint will be selling the iPhone 5S on September 20, but it has published its prices already. The 16GB iPhone 5S is $100, the 32GB $200, and the 64GB is $300, all with a regular two-year contract.
Shipping time/In-store: September 20
How to order from Best Buy, Walmart, and others
Perhaps you don’t want to grab your iPhone from Apple or a network, and would rather go into a big store to pick it up, or buy from an alternative source.
Best Buy, all models on September 20
As with previous years, Best Buy will be stocking the new iPhone models. Best Buy’s spokesman, Jon Sandler, told us “Best Buy will carry all models of Apple’s new iPhone 5S, iPhone 5C and the iPhone 4S 8GB on AT&T, Sprint and Verizon at all of its Best Buy and Best Buy Mobile specialty stores starting September 20. Pre-orders for the iPhone 5C and iPhone 4S 8GB begin in stores on September 13. In addition to the phones, Best Buy will have one of the largest selections of iPhone 5S and iPhone 5C accessories available on launch day.” So good news if you’ve got a store nearby.
Target
If you’ve got an older iPhone you no longer want, Target has confirmed it’s accepting them as part of its trade-in program against a new iPhone model. At a minimum, Target will give you $200 for an iPhone 5, $125 for an iPhone 4S, and $75 for an iPhone 4. The exact specification and condition will depend on how much more than that amount you’ll get, and it’s provided in the form of store credit, so no running off to spend it elsewhere. If you’ve got a Target REDcard, then you can knock another 5 percent off the price of a new iPhone too.
The iPhone 5C is available as a pre-order in-store, with the phone priced at $100 for the 16GB and $200 for the 32GB, while the iPhone 5S is listed as coming on September 20.
RadioShack
Radioshack is another possibility to check out if you have an old iPhone to trade-in, as it’s offering something in return for almost any Apple phone, ranging from a maximum of $20 for a 16GB iPhone 3GS to $250 for a 16GB iPhone 5, all depending on condition. Again, the money will come as store credit which can be redeemed against the iPhone 5C, which can be pre-ordered in-store now.
Walmart
Pre-orders for the iPhone 5C are open now, and the price is lower than many of its competitors, with Walmart selling the 16GB phone for $80 with a new two-year connection. It’ll be ready to collect from 8am on September 20, the same time it’ll put the 16GB iPhone 5S on sale for $190.
Amazon
You can always sell your old phone to Amazon, and you can find out how much yours is worth here. Prices on iPhone models vary greatly, but at least you’re offered free shipping to Amazon itself, although your credit will come through as Amazon gift cards. Neither the iPhone 5C or iPhone 5S are listed through Amazon itself yet, but several third-party sellers are pushing them.
Expansys
All iPhone 5S and iPhone 5C models are being advertised on the website, but no prices or pre-order dates are listed. One to watch if you’re after an unlocked phone.
Updated on 9-13-2013 by Andy: Added pre-order information and pricing for the iPhone 5C at AT&T, Verizon, T-Mobile, Sprint, and Best Buy. Some details on the iPhone 5S, specifically from AT&T and Sprint, have also been added.
Updated on 9-12-2013 by Andy: Added more info about Best Buy’s plans, T-Mobile’s pricing, and AT&T’s pricing.
Originally published 9-12-2013.
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