iPhone 18 Pro Pre-Orders Reportedly Off to a Lukewarm Start

Apple’s iPhone 18 Pro lineup may be seeing softer early demand than previous generations, although the larger Pro Max appears to be faring considerably better. Early pre-order availability suggests the iPhone 18 Pro got off to a relatively muted start after pre-orders opened Saturday morning.

According to MacRumors, GF Securities analyst Jeff Pu states most iPhone 18 Pro configurations in the U.S. remained available for launch-day delivery roughly an hour after orders opened. That’s unusual compared with previous launches, when popular colours and storage configurations have often slipped to later delivery dates fairly quickly.

The iPhone 18 Pro Max appears to be a different story. Most configurations reportedly moved to estimated shipping times of two to three weeks within the first hour.

Anecdotally, we saw a similar pattern in Canada over the weekend. Saturday’s availability check found most iPhone 18 Pro configurations still available for September 18 delivery. However, several Pro Max models had already slipped into October, with the 256GB and 512GB Burgundy versions showing some of the longest delays.

That doesn’t necessarily mean Canadians aren’t buying Apple’s latest Pro iPhones. Apple may simply have more launch inventory this year, while the unusual Saturday pre-order window may also have affected early orders. Buyers are additionally facing higher prices.

The iPhone 18 Pro starts at $1,749 CAD, an increase of $150 over last year’s model. The Pro Max now starts at $1,899. Canadian carrier pricing can push that even higher. Rogers, Bell and Telus are charging around $1,799 for the base Pro, while Freedom Mobile matches Apple’s $1,749 price.

There’s also the enormous iPhone Duo-shaped elephant in the room. Apple’s first foldable doesn’t arrive until October, potentially giving some customers a reason to skip the Pro models and wait. Speaking from a personal perspective, I’ve been opting to wait for the iPhone Duo pre-orders to start before making a purchase into this year’s selection.

Early shipping estimates are never a perfect measure of demand, but the contrast is interesting. The iPhone 18 Pro may be easier to find this year, while the Pro Max is once again proving to be Apple’s harder-to-get model.