Good news, Aussies — pre-orders for Apple's iPhone 15 lineup have officially kicked off, having started at 10pm (AEST) on Friday, September 15 and lasting until the phones actually become available on Friday, September 22.
In Australia, pricing for the iPhone 15 starts at AU$1,499 for the base model with 128GB, going all the way up to AU$2,899 for the iPhone 15 Pro Max with 1TB of storage.
This year, there are a number of reasons to be excited about Apple's new iPhones. For starters, Apple has officially bid farewell to its infamous notch display cutout, with every iPhone in the new range now sporting a Dynamic Island on its screen. And let's not forget the long-awaited arrival of USB-C, which has finally come to replace the Lightning port for good.
We also get camera upgrades for the iPhone 15 and 15 Plus, along with a refreshed design for the iPhone 15 Pro, along with a new periscope telephoto lens with 5x optical zoom on the iPhone 15 Pro Max. Simply put, this year’s lineup is undoubtedly the biggest leap since the iPhone X.
So with the key new features out of the way, let's dive into all of the details around iPhone 15 pre-orders in Australia. Here's everything we know so far.
When did iPhone 15 pre-orders start?
In Australia, iPhone 15 pre-orders went live on Friday, September 15 at 10pm (AEST) with their online and in-store release set for Friday, September 22.
Best iPhone 15 pre-order deals
For those looking to buy direct from the source, Apple's trade-in program is offering anywhere between AU$50 and AU$1,255 worth of trade-in value towards its iPhone 15 phones, depending on the model and condition of the device you're looking to offload.
Please note, Apple will only accept iPhone models for trade-in, so if you're looking to part with a Google Pixel or Samsung Galaxy device, you're better off opting for an offer from one of Australia's major telcos to open their pre-orders.
In terms of telco offers, Optus is giving customers a digital gift card valued up to AU$1,200 with eligible phone trade-ins. Optus has been known to offer Mastercard gift cards in the past, and if that proves to be the case here, that means the gift card could be as good as cash.
That said, Vodafone will be hard to beat this year when it comes to trade-in value, offering up to AU$1,500 worth of trade-in credit. That's thanks to a bonus AU$150 of credit that's being offered to customers who purchase an iPhone 15. On top of this, the telco is offering double the data for customers who buy the iPhone 15 on a plan.
Meanwhile, Telstra is also offering bonus trade-in value, with an additional AU$350 of credit given to eligible trade-ins towards the iPhone 15. That means you can save up to AU$1,250 in total.
Best iPhone 15 plans
As pre-orders have only just started, we're currently working on getting you information on the best iPhone 15 plans from each of Australia's major telcos. This information will display below as soon as it becomes available.
Best iPhone 15 Plus plans
Much like above, details on the best iPhone 15 Plus plans from each of Australia's major telcos should arrive imminently. This information will display below as soon as it becomes available.
Best iPhone 15 Pro plans
You guessed it — information on the best iPhone 15 Pro plans is still incoming from Australia's major telcos, and we will relay these details below as soon as they become available.
Best iPhone 15 Pro Max plans
If you've made it this far, you'll already know that we're still waiting on confirmed details for the best iPhone 15 Pro Max plans in Australia from all the usual telcos, so check back here as we expect this information to come through shortly (if it isn't there already.
How to plan ahead for iPhone 15 pre-orders
Given that the iPhone 15 will already be available for in-store purchase on September 22, there's not a lot of time to make the most of iPhone 15 pre-order bonuses. Our advice for those looking to upgrade is to start planning already. Here are our top tips to prepare for iPhone 15 pre-orders:
- Consider switching telcos: We know this one might be tougher to pull off depending on whether you’re still locked into a contract, but if you’re not, you can use the occasion to get better iPhone 15 deals because some telcos are known to reserve them for new customers. And, even if you aren’t a new customer, you may find that a particular telco offers a better deal than the others.
- Post ads for your old iPhone: While those trade-in offers look appealing, you might be able to fetch even more money off your old phone by listing it on an online marketplace — like Facebook Marketplace, Gumtree and eBay. Just be careful — there are scammers out there who will offer payment that’s too good to be true, only to receive your device and then make a dispute to the likes of PayPal for a full refund.
- Clean and backup your phone: If you do intend on selling your old phone, it’s wise to give it a proper cleaning before handing it off to its next owner. Not only should you reset the phone, but it’s also helpful to clean it off so that it looks pristine. Buyers are more apt to pay more if it’s in excellent condition. And, to make the transition between devices as smooth as possible, you should backup your current phone to iCloud.
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