iPhone XS Max and Apple Watch Series 4 Shipping Estimates Begin Slipping

Apple began accepting pre-orders for the iPhone XS, iPhone XS Max, and Apple Watch Series 4 models at 12:01 a.m. Pacific Time, and a half hour later, shipping estimates have slipped for many iPhone XS Max and Apple Watch Series 4 models in the United States. At launch, all devices listed delivery estimates of Friday, September 21, but now estimates have largely slipped to October.

iPhone XS Max models in all colors and all capacities from Sprint, AT&T, Verizon, and T-Mobile are now listing delivery dates ranging from September 28 to October 12, but in some areas, in-store pickup on launch day remains an option.

iphonexsmaxshippingestimates
For the SIM-free iPhone XS Max models, which must be purchased in full up front and are not eligible for the iPhone Upgrade Program, most continue to list September 21 delivery dates. Shipping estimates for the iPhone XS have not slipped and supplies of that device appear to be plentiful.

Almost all stainless steel Apple Watch Series 4 models are now listing shipping dates of October 5 to October 12 with the exception of some 40mm models, and supplies of aluminum Apple Watch Series 4 models available for launch day delivery are also beginning to wane.

Multiple Cellular + GPS models are still available, but the less expensive GPS-only models are almost all listing October shipping dates.

Shipping estimates for the Apple Watch Series 4 and iPhone XS Max are likely to continue to slip as additional orders are placed. Those who were not able to place an order early will not be able to get launch day delivery through an online shipment, but Apple retail stores are likely to have stock available for walk-in purchases.

The first pre-orders for iPhone XS, iPhone XS Max, and Apple Watch Series 4 will be delivered on Friday, September 21, the official launch date for the devices.

Related Roundup: Apple Watch 11
Buyer's Guide: Apple Watch (Buy Now)
Related Forum: iPhone

Popular Stories

iOS 26

iOS 26.4 and iOS 27 Features Revealed in New Leak

Friday December 12, 2025 10:56 am PST by
Macworld's Filipe Espósito today revealed a handful of features that Apple is allegedly planning for iOS 26.4, iOS 27, and even iOS 28. The report said the features are referenced within the code for a leaked internal build of iOS 26 that is not meant to be seen by the public. However, it appears that Espósito and/or his sources managed to gain access to it, providing us with a sneak peek...
Apple Logo Top Half

Early iOS 26 Software Leak Uncovers Dozens of Upcoming Apple Features

Monday December 15, 2025 3:05 pm PST by
Software from an iPhone prototype running an early build of iOS 26 leaked last week, giving us a glimpse at future Apple devices and iOS features. We recapped device codenames in our prior article, and now we have a list of some of the most notable feature flags that were found in the software code. In some cases, it's obvious what the feature flags are referring to, while some are more...
apple beta 26 lineup

Apple Leak Confirms Work on Foldable iPhone, AirTag 2, and Dozens More Devices

Monday December 15, 2025 2:05 pm PST by
Last week, details about unreleased Apple devices and future iOS features were shared by Macworld. This week, we learned where the information came from, plus we have more findings from the leak. As it turns out, an Apple prototype device running an early build of iOS 26 was sold, and the person who bought it shared the software. The OS has a version number of 23A5234w, and the first...
Apple Foldable Thumb

Leak Reveals Foldable iPhone Details

Monday December 15, 2025 9:09 am PST by
The first foldable iPhone will feature a series of design and hardware firsts for Apple, according to details shared by the Weibo leaker known as Digital Chat Station. According to a new post, via machine translation, Apple is developing what the leaker describes as a "wide foldable" device, a term used to refer to a horizontally oriented, book-style foldable with a large internal display....
iOS 26

iOS 26.3 Beta 1 Features: What's New So Far

Monday December 15, 2025 4:23 pm PST by
Apple is testing iOS 26.3, the next version of iOS 26 that will launch around January. Since iOS 26.3's testing is happening over the holidays, it is a smaller update with fewer features than we've seen in prior betas. We've rounded up what's new so far, and we'll add to our list with subsequent betas if we come across any other features. Transfer to Android Apple is making it simpler...
iOS 26

Apple Releases iOS 26.2 With Alarms for Reminders, Lock Screen Changes, Enhanced Safety Alerts and More

Friday December 12, 2025 10:10 am PST by
Apple today released iOS 26.2, the second major update to the iOS 26 operating system that came out in September, iOS 26.2 comes a little over a month after iOS 26.1 launched. ‌iOS 26‌.2 is compatible with the ‌iPhone‌ 11 series and later, as well as the second-generation ‌iPhone‌ SE. The new software can be downloaded on eligible iPhones over-the-air by going to Settings >...
iOS 26

iOS 26.2 Coming Soon With These 8 New Features on Your iPhone

Thursday December 11, 2025 8:49 am PST by
Apple seeded the second iOS 26.2 Release Candidate to developers earlier this week, meaning the update will be released to the general public very soon. Apple confirmed iOS 26.2 would be released in December, but it did not provide a specific date. We expect the update to be released by early next week. iOS 26.2 includes a handful of new features and changes on the iPhone, such as a new...
airpods max 2024 colors

AirPods Max 2 Likely to Offer These 10 New Features

Monday December 15, 2025 7:41 am PST by
Apple released the AirPods Max on December 15, 2020, meaning the over-ear headphones launched five years ago today. While the AirPods Max were updated with a USB-C port and new color options last year, followed by support for lossless audio and ultra-low latency audio this year, the headphones lack some of the features that have been introduced for newer generations of the regular AirPods and the ...

Top Rated Comments

Fortimir Avatar
95 months ago
I'm upgrading from the Series 0 42mm space grey aluminum.
I think this is THE update that is getting most Series 0 holdouts to upgrade. I know I'm one of them.
Score: 27 Votes (Like | Disagree)
penajmz Avatar
95 months ago
Slipping faster than I thought with those prices...
Score: 21 Votes (Like | Disagree)
mozumder Avatar
95 months ago
This Series 4 Apple watch is going to be a company-changer, sorta like the iPhone 4.
Score: 16 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Abazigal Avatar
95 months ago
Nah. They just didn't build that many in the first place. All part of Marketing 201.
People keep parroting this year after year, even after Apple announces record sales. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

As a hardware company, Apple has zero incentive to limit sales, and they certainly don't need to resort to this in order to generate hype.
Score: 14 Votes (Like | Disagree)
D.T. Avatar
95 months ago
People keep parroting this year after year, even after Apple announces record sales. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

As a hardware company, Apple has zero incentive to limit sales, and they certainly don't need to resort to this in order to generate hype.
Absolutely, people need to talk to actual marketing professionals (at a company like Apple), and they will tell you, unequivocally, there's no value in artificially limiting supply.
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
44267547 Avatar
95 months ago
As Someone else alluded to, Apple tends to under promise and over deliver.

Pre-ordered my Apple Watch when the website went live immediately, was predicted my Series 4:

44 MM Black Stainless.
Sept. 28-Oct. 5.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)