Apple Sets 9 PM PT Cutoff for iPhone 18 Pro Pre-Order Prep

Q: With starting prices quietly hiked to $1,199, are the A20 Pro chip and battery upgrades enough to justify the massive cost?

For most buyers, no — the A20 Pro and battery gains alone do not fully justify a $1,199 starting price. They make the iPhone 18 Pro easier to defend for power users, but not a clear value upgrade for everyone. The strongest case is performance. Early, unverified benchmarks suggest the A20 Pro is roughly 21% to 23% faster in CPU tasks and as much as 38% to 40% faster in graphics than the A19 Pro, with a 2nm process, 50% more memory bandwidth, and a redesigned vapor chamber that Apple says improves sustained performance by up to 40%. For gamers, creators, and users leaning on AI features, that is a meaningful jump. Battery life is also a real upgrade, especially on the Pro Max. Apple rates the 18 Pro at up to 36 hours of video playback and the Pro Max at up to 45 hours, with faster wired charging and some added space from eSIM-only U.S. models helping. That is useful, but battery gains alone rarely justify a $100 price increase for mainstream users. What strengthens Apple’s argument is that the price increase is bundled with more than chip-and-battery improvements: 256GB base storage, variable-aperture 48MP main camera, new pro camera controls, improved low-light imaging, and a smaller Dynamic Island. If you will use those features, the price hike looks more reasonable. If you already own a recent Pro model, the upgrade looks expensive. If you are coming from an older iPhone, need battery longevity, or want the camera changes, the higher price is easier to justify.

3 articles · Updated · 9to5Mac · Sep 11

9 p.m. PT on Sept. 11 is the deadline for Apple customers to lock in iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max choices through the Apple Store’s “Get Ready” feature.
That advance setup lets buyers pick models and accessories, secure financing or leasing pre-approval, and arrange trade-ins before pre-orders open at 8 a.m. ET on Sept. 12.
Apple’s press release listed the cutoff as 9 a.m. PT, but the report says that appears to be an error because the option remained live after that time and last year’s cutoff was 9 p.m.
Pre-orders are starting a day later than Apple’s usual Friday schedule, with the report attributing the shift to the Sept. 11 date.