If Thailand remains in the first wave of iPhone 18 Pro pre-orders, there is a chance the date will move from Friday to Saturday.
Reports indicate that Apple will open pre-orders for the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max on Saturday, 12 September 2026, one day later than the usual schedule, to avoid 11 September, which this year marks the 25th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks in the United States. Sources also mentioned that the pre-order time will change to midnight Pacific Time.
Apple has officially announced it will hold a launch event for the iPhone 18 Pro, iPhone 18 Pro Max, and the foldable iPhone Ultra on Wednesday, 9 September, coinciding with midnight on the night of Wednesday 9 September turning into Thursday 10 September Thailand time, under the event name "Surprise and shine."
Traditionally, Apple has opened pre-orders on the Friday of the launch week and begun deliveries the following Friday. Following this pattern, this year's pre-order day would fall on Friday, 11 September 2026.
Macwelt, a German-language media outlet affiliated with Macworld, reported citing reliable sources that Apple will delay pre-orders to Saturday, 12 September, due to 11 September being a day of remembrance and mourning in the U.S. The same report noted the pre-order time will shift from the original 5:00 a.m. Pacific Time (7:00 p.m. Thailand time) to midnight Pacific Time, which corresponds to 2:00 p.m. on Saturday, 12 September, Thailand time.
For buyers in Thailand, this change will directly affect those if Thailand remains among the first countries to open pre-orders as last year. When the iPhone 17 launched in 2025, Apple allowed customers in over 63 countries and regions, including Thailand, to pre-order starting Friday, 12 September 2025 at 7:00 p.m. Thailand time, which matched 5:00 a.m. Pacific Time, ahead of the official sale on 19 September 2025. If Apple follows the reported adjustment this year, those waiting to pre-order the iPhone 18 Pro in Thailand will shift from the familiar Friday evening booking to a Saturday afternoon window.
Apple has not yet announced the list of countries included in the first wave of iPhone 18 Pro pre-orders, and this year's launch structure differs since there is no standard iPhone model featured at the event.
This type of pre-order date shift is not new for Apple. Eleven years ago, in 2015, the usual pre-order date also fell on 11 September. The company chose to delay the iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus pre-orders to Saturday, 12 September 2015, for the same reason.
Additionally, this postponed pre-order schedule will apply not only to the iPhone 18 Pro but also to other products like the Apple Watch Series 12, Apple Watch Ultra 4, and other devices.
The foldable iPhone Ultra model is expected to have a different pre-order schedule from the iPhone 18 Pro.Pre-ordersthat differ from the iPhone 18 Pro.
Currently, Apple has not officially confirmed the pre-order and release dates for the iPhone 18 Pro. Typically, Apple reveals this information at the launch event, which is less than two weeks away.
Source:9to5Mac