The cats are officially out of the bag: Apple announced the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus after a long year of rumors and contradictory reports. The iPhone 6 packs a 4.7-inch screen, while the iPhone 6 Plus ups the screen size to 5.5 inches. Now that we know these handsets exist and are real, the next question on everyone’s minds is how can they get their hands on one.
The first thing to keep in mind is that, regardless of where you get your iPhone 6 or 6 Plus, pre-orders begin on September 12, with the handsets officially going on sale on September 19. As for exact times, it depends on where you get the handset. As with previous iPhone launches, you can get the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus from either carriers or retailers. Let’s begin with carriers.
Updated on 9-12-2014 by Williams Pelegrin: Updated each carrier and retailer with iPhone 6 and 6 Plus availability and shipping dates.
We’ll continue to update this post as availability changes or other stores are added.
Sprint – 12AM PT
Beginning with Sprint, it launched pre-register pages for the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus. As for actually pre-ordering the handsets, pre-orders go live on September 12 at 12am PT. The carrier also announced a new plan, iPhone for Life, for those who simply want to lease Apple’s latest and greatest. The $70-a-month plan is a total of two payments: $50 for the unlimited talk, text, and data plan, and $20 for the handset itself.
If you prefer, you can swap out the individual plan for Sprint’s revamped Framily plan. Keeping the individual plan, along with paying for the device itself over the two years, will only cost you $480. However, if you damage the iPhone 6 or 6 Plus, you must pay the handset’s full price, unless you have insurance from Sprint.
To help offset the cost of getting an iPhone 6 or 6 Plus on Sprint, the carrier revamped its trade-in program. Sprint promises to either meet or beat all major U.S. carrier buyback pricing on handsets for new service lines.
According to Sprint, it will do its best to send you the iPhone 6 by September 19, so it doesn’t appear to be sold out. Unfortunately, for the iPhone 6 Plus, Sprint did not give any date for when it will ship or when it will get to would-be buyers.
T-Mobile – 12am PT
Meanwhile, T-Mobile launched its own pre-register page for both handsets. Pre-orders will begin on September 12, at 12:01 a.m. As
for pricing, here is how it looks like under Magenta’s Simple Choice plan:
- 16GB iPhone 6: $0 down/$27.08 a month for 24 months
- 64GB iPhone 6: $100 down/$27.08 a month for 24 months
- 128GB iPhone 6: $200 down/$27.08 a month for 24 months
- 16GB iPhone 6 Plus: $0 down/$31.24 a month for 24 months
- 64GB iPhone 6 Plus: $100 down/$31.25 a month for 24 months
- 128GB iPhone 6 Plus: $200 down/$31.25 a month for 24 months
T-Mobile also has a trade-in program of its own. Trying to best other trade-in programs, T-Mobile will throw in an additional $50 if you find a better trade-in deal from one of the nation’s top carriers.
Unfortunately, while the option to pre-order both the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus is still available, it looks like T-Mobile’s website is still working out some kinks from the rush of earlier today. For both handsets, T-Mobile expects shipment to begin “soon.”
Verizon – 12am PT
Unlike Sprint and T-Mobile, Verizon doesn’t have a dedicated pre-register page for the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus. However, Big Red still launched a dedicated iPhone 6 and 6 Plus page, which will presumably update when pre-orders go live on September 12. No specific time frame was given for when pre-orders go live.
While you can sign up for a traditional two-year plan, you can also opt to pay for either device through its Edge program. For $0 down, you’ll need to pay $32.49 a month for 20 months for the iPhone 6, while the iPhone 6 Plus will set you back $37.49 a month for 20 months.
Not to be outdone, Verizon lets you swap your old iPhone for, essentially, a free 16GB iPhone 6 on a two-year contract. Sending in a working iPhone 4, 4S, 5, 5C, or 5S will net you a $200 gift card, which can then be credited to the $200 16GB iPhone 6.
While Verizon still has plenty of iPhone 6 models in Gold available for delivery by September 19, most of the other iPhone 6 and 6 Plus variants will be delivered in October. If you still want the iPhone 6, it would be wise to place your order as soon as possible before remaining stock empties out.
AT&T – 12am PT
Finally, AT&T launched a dedicated page for the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus, with pre-orders going live on September 12 at 12:01am PST. The iPhone 6 will cost $32.50 and $27.09 per month on AT&T’s Next 12 and Next 18 programs, respectively. Meanwhile, the iPhone 6 Plus will cost $37.50 and $31.25 on Next 12 and Next 18, respectively. You can also purchase each handset with a traditional two-year contract.
Unsurprisingly, AT&T also offers credit for your old iPhone. The offer, which starts the same day the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus are available for pre-order, gives people as much as $300 credit if they trade in an old iPhone in good working order. In addition, AT&T also offers two additional deals: 1) $100 credit if you purchase any iPhone and add a new phone line to an AT&T Next account, and 2) Buy an iPhone with AT&T Next and get $200 off any iPad.
Not surprisingly, much of AT&T’s iPhone 6 and 6 Plus stock won’t be delivered to you for 21-35 business days. Other variants will ship in 7-14 business days, with the iPhone 6 Plus not shipping until November. However, the 128GB Gold and Silver iPhone 6 are available for delivery on September 19.
Related:
- Apple Watch coming in 2015 for $349, brings sapphire screen, digital crown, and more
- Here’s the iPhone 6: bigger, thinner, improved camera, and more
Next page: Retailer availability
Apart from carriers and Apple itself, several retailers have announced that you can pre-order the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus through their stores and online portals.
RadioShack – In-store pre-order only
RadioShack announced that, starting on September 12, you can pre-order the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus. For any iPhone 6 or 6 Plus purchased by September 27, you will receive a $50 iTunes gift card, with an additional $50 NFL.com gift card if sign a new or upgraded two-year contract with Verizon.
While RadioShack’s trade-in program for the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus isn’t nearly as ambitious as others, it still offers as much as $300 if you trade in your iPhone 5S or Samsung Galaxy S5. However, trouble looms over RadioShack, as it revealed that it may file for bankruptcy if its cash situation worsens, as reported by Reuters.
This could understandably lead to people thinking twice about going to RadioShack for their iPhone 6 and 6 Plus needs. A RadioShack representative, when asked about the possible bankruptcy, danced around the question, as reported by PhoneArena. “Our customers are a primary focus,” said the representative. “As (RadioShack CEO) Joe Magnacca said today, RadioShack is one of Apple’s top five retailers and as we announced yesterday, we are looking forward to offering pre-orders for our customers tomorrow.”
There is no way to pre-order the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus through RadioShack’s website, so you’ll have to go in-store to do so. Call your local RadioShack to make sure they have both handsets in stock so you won’t waste a trip.
Walmart
Even though no specific time was given, you can pre-order the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus through Walmart on September 12. Interestingly, if you purchase a 16GB iPhone 6 or 6 Plus on a tw0-year contract through either AT&T, Verizon, or Sprint, you will get a $20 discount. In addition, for those who pre-order any configuration, they will receive a $15 Walmart gift card.
Unfortunately, you have to go in-store if you want to pre-order the iPhone 6 or 6 Plus. As such, calling your local Walmart would be a good idea.
Walmart also accepts trade-ins if you want either handset at a lower price. It would be wise to first check how much Walmart offers for your iPhone before going to one of its stores. You can also head to Walmart-owned Sam’s Club to pre-order either handset, with the 16GB versions receiving a $23 discount if you opt for a two-year contract on the three aforementioned carriers. However, Sam’s Club will not give you a gift card.
Target – In-store Pre-order only (When stores open)
From the looks of Target’s dedicated iPhone 6 and 6 Plus online portal, it appears that pre-orders will only happen in-store. Regardless, they will begin on September 12, specifically when stores open.
While the retailer doesn’t offer any discounts or gift cards, Target does have a trade-in program to call its own. You can lock in certain values on trade-ins for older iPhone models before September 18. Those prices are guaranteed before October 18. Currently, Target offers $200 for the iPhone 5S, $100 for the iPhone 5/5C, $75 for the iPhone 5S, and $50 for the iPhone 4. If you wish to trade-in your iPhone, you can do so in-store or through Target’s trade-in website.
While you’re more than happy to admire the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus on Target’s website, there’s no way to pre-order any of them. As such, you’ll have to call up your local Target and ask what stock looks like.
Best Buy (TBA)
Best Buy launched a dedicated page for the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus, though, at the moment, there doesn’t seem to be any indication that you can pre-order either handset through it. Still, expect pre-orders to go live on September 12.
As for trade-ins, Best Buy will pay you in store credit only. The on-contract iPhone 5S currently goes between $300 and $335, while the unlocked version goes for $250. As per usual with retailer trade-in programs, it’s always a good idea to first check how much your device is worth before doing anything. You can do so for Best Buy here.
Interestingly, only the 64GB variants of the iPhone 6 are available for pre-order through Best Buy’s website. All the other iPhone 6 variants need to be pre-ordered in person. As for the iPhone 6 Plus, its website simply lists each variant as “coming soon.”
Apple Store – 12AM PT (We think)
Of course, Apple itself will sell the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus through its online portal and in its Apple Stores. Pre-orders begin on September 12, though no exact time was given. You will likely either be able to have the handset delivered to you or sent to your local Apple Store for pick-up.
Regardless, patience is indeed a virtue. Apple’s website usually gets overloaded whenever an iPhone goes on sale, so expect to see errors more often than not. If you opt to go through the pre-order process in person, you can do so. Even if you fail to preserve your iPhone 6 or 6 Plus, Apple usually supplies stores with enough supply for walk-ins.
The only variants available for September 19 delivery are as follows:
- AT&T: 64GB/128GB Gold iPhone 6, 64GB Silver iPhone 6, 16GB/64GB Space Gray iPhone 6
- Sprint: 128GB Gold iPhone 6, 16GB/128GB Space Gray iPhone 6
- Verizon: 16GB Silver iPhone 6, 16GB/128GB Gold iPhone 6, 16GB/64GB/128GB Space Gray iPhone 6
- T-Mobile: 128GB Silver iPhone 6, 64GB/128GB Gold iPhone 6
Every other variant, including every iPhone 6 Plus variant, will ship in 3-4 weeks, regardless of carrier.
Previous updates:
Updated on 9-12-2014 by Jeffrey Van Camp: Updated the times when you can pre-order the phone for T-Mobile, AT&T, and other carriers. 12:01 a.m. PT, it begins.
Updated on 09-11-2014 by Williams Pelegrin: Overhauled the guide, adding carrier and retailer availability.
