iPhone X: When, where, and how to buy Apple’s latest smartphone

Updated 12/05/17: Apple now sells the iPhone X unlocked and SIM-free in addition to carrier models.

It’s here! The iPhone X has arrived and is on sale now. With an edge-to-edge OLED display, front-facing camera with brand new Face ID technology, and wireless charging, this is arguably Apple’s most groundbreaking iPhone in years. 

We’ve had a couple of months to drink in the details since it was announced back in September, and now it’s time to get your own.  Apple’s online store may seem like the most obvious choice, but you can also get it from the  Apple Store app for iOS with Apple Pay.

Apple started selling the iPhone X in their retail stores on Friday, November 3 at 8:00 a.m. local time. Although stock was initially limited, supply has ramped up quickly and you now have to wait no more than a week—or not at all—to get the phone. 

Besides Apple, the four major cell carriers are also eager to help their customers upgrade or switch to a brand-new iPhone—especially if it means renewing a contract, extending an installment plan, or signing up new customers. You can order one through them now.

Speaking of installment plans, the process will be a little different for those of you participating in Apple’s iPhone Upgrade Program, which we’ll cover below. 

Read on for more iPhone X buying info. Looking for details on the iPhone 8 or 8 Plus? They’ve been on sale since the end of September—head on down to your local Apple store or pick one up online, and check out our full iPhone 8 review for more info.

Buy the iPhone X: How much does it cost? 

The iPhone X comes in two models and starts at $999.

• 64GB: $999
• 256GB: $1149

If you want  AppleCare+, that will set you back an additional $199—which is a price increase compared to the iPhone 8, 8 Plus, and all older models. The iPhone X comes in silver and space gray.

Buy the iPhone X: Apple store

The easiest way to pick up your iPhone X is through the Apple store online or via the Apple Store app. Just select your preferred color, capacity, and carrier, and keep your fingers crossed for a quick ship time.

To make checkout even speedier, consider selecting a “favorite” iPhone ahead of time. Go to the online Apple store’s iPhone X shopping page; select your carrier, finish, and capacity; select your payment plan (either via monthly payments through your carrier or the iPhone Upgrade Program, or in full up front); and then add AppleCare+ (if you want it!). Once you’ve gone through all of these steps, you have the option to “favorite” this device setup—just select the little heart icon next to the device availability button (or tap the heart in the upper left corner if you’re using the Apple Store app on your iPhone).

Then, when you’re ready to buy, log back in to the Apple store online, go over to your shopping cart (the bag icon in the top right corner), and click on Favorites to select that model for checkout. In the Apple Store app, tap Account, then My Favorites. You might want mark a backup favorite as well, just in case your first choice has too long of a ship date.

Another thing to do ahead of placing your order: check your account status with your carrier to make sure you don’t run into any unexpected problems. If your carrier is AT&T, Sprint, or Verizon, you can check your upgrade eligibility directly on Apple’s website. You can also enroll in the iPhone Upgrade Program online. If you’re a T-Mobile customer, you’ll have to pay in full to place an order through Apple, and check your account status with T-Mobile ahead of time. If you want to participate in the iPhone Upgrade Program, T-Mobile customers will have to go to an Apple retail store (sorry, Apple Town Square) in person. 

Note: Though Apple didn’t sell any SIM-free, unlocked iPhone X devices at launch, it has now started to. So if you want to buy a SIM-less phone then pop in your old phone’s SIM or pick one up from your carrier, it’s now an option.

Apple store ship dates

Good news: If you order today, you can get your hands on an iPhone X before the holidays! As of Tuesday, December 4, Apple promises a December 13 delivery across all iPhone X models and carriers.

Nearly every model is available for immediate in-store pickup at Apple Stores, too. 

AT&T:

• 64GB, Silver: December 13
• 256GB, Silver: December 13
• 64GB, Space Gray: December 13
• 256GB, Space Gray: December 13

Sprint:

• 64GB, Silver: December 13
• 256GB, Silver: December 13
• 64GB, Space Gray: December 13
• 256GB, Space Gray: December 13

T-Mobile:

• 64GB, Silver: December 13
• 256GB, Silver: December 13
• 64GB, Space Gray: December 13
• 256GB, Space Gray: December 13

Verizon:

• 64GB, Silver: December 13
• 256GB, Silver: December 13 
• 64GB, Space Gray: December 13
• 256GB, Space Gray: December 13

Buy the iPhone X: iPhone Upgrade Program 

Apple is continuing its iPhone Upgrade Program for the iPhone X. This program allows you to upgrade to a new iPhone every year by paying monthly installments directly to Apple via a third-party loan. Here’s the cost breakdown: 

• 64GB: $49.91 per month
• 256GB: $56.16 per month

The cost of the iPhone Upgrade Program includes AppleCare+, which would be an additional charge of $199 if you were to pay for the phone in full up front.

Apple has a quick pre-approval process through its loan partner Citizens One, which is required for both existing and new Upgrade Program participants—the Apple store app will walk you through the process during checkout, which involves selecting your preferred iPhone, confirming your carrier, and providing your Social Security number and date of birth for a credit check. Once approved, you’ll have three days to complete your purchase—otherwise, you’ll have to get pre-approved again. 

If you’re trading your device in and swapping it out for an iPhone X, your first loan will close out and Citizens One will start you on a new 24-month loan with adjusted (read: more costly) monthly payments, since the iPhone X is more expensive than previous versions of the iPhone. Apple will also give you the option to return your old iPhone to an Apple retail store, or mail it back. 

For more info, see our   iPhone Upgrade Program FAQ.

Buy the iPhone X: AT&T

If you’re an AT&T customer (or would like to become one), you can buy your new iPhone X on  AT&T’s website, where you can check your upgrade eligibility and select one of their Next plans.

AT&T Next lets you get a new iPhone X for $0 down as long as you make monthly payments—$33.34 per month for the 64GB version, or $38.34 per month for the 256GB version—spread out over 30 months (with a 24-month option available). You can upgrade to a new iPhone once 80 percent of the iPhone’s sales price is paid off (or sooner with a down payment). The 24-month option is called AT&T Next Every Year, which has larger monthly payments (starting at $41.63 per month) but you can upgrade after a year—or once you’ve paid off half of the price of your device—hence the name.

AT&T’s ship dates vary based on color and capacity:

• 64GB, Silver: Ships between December 6 and 8
• 256GB, Silver: Ships between December 19 and 27
• 64GB, Space Gray: Ships between December 6 and 8
• 256GB, Space Gray: Ships between December 27 and January 4

Buy the iPhone X: Verizon

This year, if you trade in a phone with Verizon (Verizon’s taking phones as old as the iPhone 5), you can save up to $300 off of your iPhone X via statement credits. Your trade-in device must be in good working and cosmetic condition, of course. Verizon is also offering the option to pay for the phone in full or through a 24-month installment plan, which costs $41.66 per month for the 64GB version and $47.91 per month for the 256GB version.

If you’re ordering directly from Verizon, the ship date varies per color and capacity:

• 64GB, Silver: Available now
• 256GB, Silver: Available now
• 64GB, Space Gray: Available now
• 256GB, Space Gray: Available now

Buy the iPhone X: Sprint

Sprint is offering some of the lowest prices around. New and current Sprint customers can get the iPhone X for $22.22 per month over 18 months if you bring in an eligible device to trade in with Sprint Flex. For iPhone users, that means an iPhone 6/6 Plus, iPhone 6s/6s Plus, iPhone 7/7 Plus, or an iPhone 8/8 Plus. This could be a savings of up to $350. Don’t have a device to trade in? No problem—your monthly payments will just be a little higher at $41.67 per month over 18 months.

If you get the 64GB version, you don’t have to make a downpayment; if you get the 256GB version, it’s $150 up front. Both capacities have the same montly payment amounts. All monthly payment-based iPhone plans come with Sprint’s iPhone Forever program, which lets you trade in your phone every 12 months. Sprint’s iPhone Forever program is technically a 22-month lease.

Here are Sprint’s promised ship dates:

• 64GB, Silver: Available now
• 256GB, Silver: Ships by December 15
• 64GB, Space Gray: Available now
• 256GB, Space Gray: Available now

Buy the iPhone X: T-Mobile 

T-Mobile customers will likely find it easiest to pre-order an iPhone X directly from the carrier, as it’s the only way to get access to a standard installment plan for payment. If you have an iPhone 6 or newer (minus the iPhone SE) to trade in, T-Mobile will knock $300 off the price of the iPhone X via 24 monthly bill credits.

To get this deal, you’ll have to sign up for one of T-Mobile’s two installment plans: The Equipment Installment Plan, which asks for a down payment and then monthly payments for 24 months; and Jump! On Demand, which is T-Mobile’s leasing option that lets you switch to a new phone every year. For current T-Mobile customers on the Equipment Installment Plan, you have to pay off the remaining balance on your existing device before adding the iPhone X to your line.

If you’re ordering directly from T-Mobile, the ship date varies per color and capacity:

• 64GB, Silver: In stock
• 256GB, Silver: Ships December 19 – 26
• 64GB, Space Gray: Ships December 5 – 7
• 256GB, Space Gray: Ships December 8 – 15

Buy the iPhone X: Virgin Mobile and Boost Mobile

These small-fry American carriers—both owned by Sprint—don’t have the iPhone X available right now, but they will soon! 

Virgin Mobile is taking pre-orders now and will begin shipping on November 10. Virgin Mobile is currently quoting a 3 to 4 week ship date, or “as soon as it becomes available.”

Boost Mobile will start taking pre-orders on November 10. No word on a shipment timeline yet. 

Buy the iPhone X: Best Buy

For about a week, Best Buy had the worst iPhone X prices around if you want to buy the device up front with no payment plan—they asked for $100 more than Apple’s suggested price. That’s $1099 for the 64GB model and $1249 for the 256GB model. However, the upcharge was for a reason—Best Buy was the only retailer offering a fully unlocked phone on launch day, where Apple is requiring all iPhone X customers to select a carrier when purchasing their device. 

But, that ship has sailed— Best Buy stopped offering unactivated versions of the iPhone X shortly after they first started. However, you can still buy the phone with a monthly payment option through your carrier via Best Buy, which doesn’t have a markup. 

Best Buy’s promised delivery times vary—as of this writing, it appears as if they’re out of stock online (each configuration has a “Getting More Soon” disclaimer), but you may be able to order one for in-store pickup:

• 64GB, Silver: Check your local store
• 256GB, Silver: Check your local store
• 64GB, Space Gray: Check your local store
• 256GB, Space Gray: Check your local store

Buy the iPhone X: Target

Target is selling the iPhone X, but you have to check its availability online or swing by your local store and try your luck. Currently, you cannot buy the iPhone X online through Target and have it shipped to your house or reserve one for in-store pickup. Your wait time will vary—check your local store for availability.