If you want an iPhone 14 Pro before Christmas, these are your options

It’s not easy to get your hands on a brand new iPhone 14 Pro model right now.

The reason? A combination of strict COVID-19 restrictions and subsequent protests in China has affected the Zhengzhou assembly plant for the iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max. According to Apple, this facility is “currently operating at a significantly reduced capacity” and as a result, multiple reports suggest the production shortage could be as high as 6 million units.

It’s an incredibly large number, and we’ve already started to see its impact. If you go to Apple’s website right now and want to buy an iPhone 14 Pro or iPhone 14 Pro Max, the fastest expected delivery date is only after Christmas, and if you want to pick it up in store, well, that’s next to impossible.

If you’re thinking of buying an iPhone 14 Pro as a gift for a loved one, you’ll have to wait a bit, maybe even until next year.

Fortunately, there are several options to get it earlier (i.e. before the holidays). Here’s what you need to do.

1. Check your local Apple store

You have a great chance of securing an iPhone 14 Pro or iPhone 14 Pro Max before the holidays by constantly checking online inventory at your local Apple store.

On the Apple website, go to the Page Buy an iPhone 14 Pro and choose your model, color, storage, payment method and carrier. Once you’ve selected all of these options, you should see the final price of your phone at the bottom of the page, along with the estimated delivery date and the option to pick up in person at your nearest Apple store (if available). ) .

If the delivery date listed is after Christmas and there is no availability to pick up in person, try these two things:

• Choose another model. You can increase the storage from 256GB to 512GB or change the colors from dark purple to gold to see if a slightly different variant of the iPhone 14 Pro model you wanted is available. Play with all available options.

There are also online trackers, like this one, that automatically scan for all available iPhone 14 Pro models in Apple stores in your area, though those websites tend to be riddled with ads.

• Change Apple Store Locations. Just above the Add to Cart button, you will see the details of the nearest Apple store. If iPhone 14 Pro is not available in this store, tap Check another store to see availability at the 12 nearest stores. If your pick is still not available at nearby Apple stores, change the zip code and consider a road trip if you want the iPhone 14 so badly.

You may also see an option that says Similar models available. If you are interested in the model that appears, great! Select it to check where it’s available for same-day in-store pickup.

2. Next, check out retailers and carrier stores

The Apple Store isn’t the only place to look for the iPhone 14 Pro. You can check online, over the phone, or in person with the phone companies or retailers in your area.

For retailers like Walmart or Target, your best chance to score is to check online. For example, if you are near a Best Buy physical store, go to the Best Buy website, find the iPhone 14 Pro model you want, and scroll to the bottom of the page to check the delivery options. and pickup. If delivery is available before Christmas, you can easily buy the iPhone 14 Pro and have it sent to your home. If pickup is an option, you could possibly get it the same day.

When it comes to carrier stores, like T-Mobile, AT&T, or Verizon, the easiest way to check if they have iPhone 14 Pro inventory is to call your local store or visit nobody. You can talk to a sales rep and ask if they have the iPhone 14 model you want, or if not, something similar. You can also ask when they are expecting a new shipment. Inventory isn’t usually available online for each individual carrier store, so you’ll have to work harder to find the iPhone you want. But hey, you might get lucky.

3. Finally, consider an older model iPhone

And if all else fails, you should honestly consider buying an older model iPhone. There are a ton of great options to get the iPhone 13 Pro (2021) or iPhone 12 Pro (2020) models – for a significantly cheaper price too.

While a The 256GB iPhone 14 Pro is $1,099you could get a refurbished one iPhone 13 Pro 256GB for $809 on Amazon or a refurbished iPhone 12 Pro 256GB for $759 directly from Apple.

You can also get great deals on the secondary market. On Swappa you can get a iPhone 13 Pro Max for as low as $711 or one iPhone 13 Pro for $629. And on Back Marketyou can get one Unlocked iPhone 12 Pro 128GB starting at $445 or one T-Mobile 128GB iPhone 12 Pro Max for $471. Prices fluctuate as stock sells out, so it’s best to look for the best deal possible.

I do not know which iPhone to get? Check out our guide to best iPhone of 2022as well as our review of the iPhone 14.