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Apple iPhone XS and iPhone XS Max launch today: Here's everything you need to know
September 21 is the day that many of you have certainly been anticipating. It's the day that Apple scheduled as the launch date for their latest shiny wares, the iPhone XS and XS Max which were both announced during a keynote a week ago. The latest heavy-hitters in Apple's portfolio will have to carry the company on their backs for the next 12 months, and the initial sales that are about to commence will be a pretty good indication of whether these would set a new slew of records.
So, the iPhones are launching in stores today, but what time are Apple's stores opening? As you likely know, Cupertino's outlets usually open doors at 10am from Monday through Thursday and close shop at 10pm, while on Friday and Saturday they'd close at 11pm.
Today's a special day, however - consumers in the first batch of supported markets should expect Apple stores to open 8am local time and close at 11pm local time today. Surely, you'd know that since you've been camping in front of the store since Tuesday, of course.
A cool $999 + a couple of hundred more for tax is the minimum amount you should prepare for your shiny new iPhone. The iPhone XS starts at $999 for the 64GB version, while the 256GB and 512GB versions will set you back $1149 and $1349, respectively.
The larger and more respect-inducing iPhone XS Max commands a $1099 price tag for the starting 64GB version, a $1249 for the 256GB, and the mind-boggling sum of $1449 for the top-end 512GB model.
Phone XS and XS Max country availability
The first batch of countries that will be getting a taste of the iPhone XS and XS Max today are:
Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, China, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Guernsey, Hong Kong, Ireland, Isle of Man, Italy, Japan, Jersey, Luxembourg, Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Portugal, Puerto Rico, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, the UAE, UK, US and US Virgin Islands.
Traditionally, among the very first countries to receive the newest batch of iPhones is Australia, while Apple's own hometurf is one of the last global markets to receive the new Apple wares. Here's a time breakdown of when the stores are opening in different.
A week later, on September 28, the iPhone XS and XS Max will be available in the second batch of countries:
Andorra, Armenia, Bahrain, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Estonia, Georgia, Greece, Greenland, Hungary, Iceland, India, Kazakhstan, Kuwait, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Malta, Monaco, Oman, Poland, Qatar, Romania, Russia, Slovakia, Slovenia and South Africa.
Alas, the most affordable new iPhone, the colorful iPhone XR, will not launch alongside its more premium brethren. In a move that's likely to prevent it from stealing some thunder and sales opportunities, the cheapest new phone will be launching October 26.
The launch will be simultaneous in nearly 60 countries: Andorra, Australia, Austria, Bahrain, Belgium, Bulgaria, Canada, China, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Greenland, Guernsey, Hong Kong, Hungary, Iceland, India, Ireland, Isle of Man, Italy, Japan, Jersey, Kuwait, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Mexico, Monaco, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Oman, Poland, Portugal, Puerto Rico, Qatar, Romania, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, the UAE, UK, US and US Virgin Islands.
You will be able to pre-order it starting October 19.
How much would it set me back?
The iPhone XR is currently one of the cheapest ways to get into the cool Apple club. $749 is what you will have to pay for the base 64GB version, while the 128GB one will cost you $799. If you're a data hoarder, you might as well go for the 256GB version, which costs $899.
