The iPhone 14 Pro is this year’s Tickle Me Elmo
Apple’s holiday quarter might be a little light this year. After issuing a warning earlier this week that iPhone 14 Pro production was being affected by Covid-related restrictions, delivery times keep slipping later into December. And if you want one by Christmas, you should probably order very soon.
On Apple.com, you can buy an iPhone 14 Pro and Pro Max right now and it won’t arrive until December 14 at the earliest. On Verizon, every model is backordered until December 9. T-Mobile estimates December 5-19 for most models. And while there’s some stock at Apple and carrier stores, many models are unavailable.
Even if you manage to find one, you’re going to be getting less for your trade-in. Earlier this week, Apple slashed prices for iPhone and iPad trade-ins as part of its regular adjustment, knocking up to $70 off the previous values:
- iPhone 13 Pro Max: $650 (down $70)
- iPhone 13 Pro: $550 (down $50)
- iPhone 13: $450 (down $20)
- iPhone 13 mini: $380 (no change)
- iPhone 12 Pro Max: $480 (down $50)
- iPhone 12 Pro: $400 (down $30)
- iPhone 12: $300 (down $20)
- iPhone 12 mini: $250 (no change)
- iPhone SE (2nd generation): $100 (no change)
- iPhone 11 Pro Max: $330 (down $40)
- iPhone 11 Pro: $250 (down $50)
- iPhone 11: $200 (down $20)
- iPhone XS Max: $200 (down $20)
- iPhone XS: $160 (up $10)
- iPhone XR: $150 (up $10)
- iPhone X: $130 (no change)
- iPhone 8 Plus: $100 (down $10)
- iPhone 8: $75 (no change)
- iPhone 7 Plus: $60 (down $10)
- iPhone 7: Up to $40 (no change)
- iPad Pro: Up to $445 (down $55)
- iPad Air: Up to $230 (down $15)
- iPad: Up to $160 (down $35)
It’s not clear whether the shipping situation will ease, but with just six weeks until Christmas, things are going to need to change soon in order to have an impact on sales. Once the Black Friday rush begins, the iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max will become the hardest-to-find Christmas gift this side of Tickle Me Elmo.
There are worse problems for a $2 trillion company, of course, but as the all-important holiday quarter chugs along, we expect delivery times to start slipping into 2023.
