Some Apple customers who pre-ordered the iPhone 12 mini and iPhone 12 Pro Max are finding their orders have updated with shipping information advising their iPhone is on the way, but it is unlikely that many of the deliveries will actually occur before November 13.
On Friday, Apple opened up pre-orders through the online Apple Store for the iPhone 12 mini and iPhone 12 Pro Max, the last two models of the current iPhone generation to be released. The first customers to place orders can expect quicker deliveries to occur, with the earliest potentially taking place on November 13, Apple's announced availability date for the models.
Not all customers will receive their orders on that date, as the delivery time estimates started to slip for both models shortly after it became available to purchase.
In a similar fashion to pre-orders for the iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 Pro in the first wave, customers who were lucky enough to order quickly are starting to see updates. A number of users on Reddit are reporting shipment updates through systems operated by Apple and its courier partners, with some claiming the order itself has shipped.
Some further advise that their orders are listed as being prepared to ship for delivery on November 13. Regardless of whether it has shipped or is being prepared, it is highly unlikely that a large number of customers will receive their iPhone orders ahead of that time.
As with the first wave of orders and other previous product launches, Apple works with delivery partners to try and maintain the set release date for its products, meaning that deliveries will largely occur on or after Apple's mandated release date.