The new iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus were announced last week, preorders went live last Friday, and they will be delivered and in stores this Friday. Many people have ordered the new iPhone 8 and now you can track it to see where it is along its journey to you – even before Apple tells you it shipped!
How to Track Your New iPhone 8 Early
If you wanted the new iPhone 8 this year, this was probably the first year in a longtime that you did not need to wake up early to order! The new iPhone 8 simply is not selling fast. Either Apple figured out how to churn out iPhones at a higher rate or the other new iPhone, the iPhone X, is killing sales of its also-announced siblings (the iPhone X does not go on sale until next month).
At any rate, if you ordered the new iPhone 8, chances are very good you will see it this week or, at the latest, next week.
Tracking Your New iPhone 8
It always seems to create a lot of excitement for people waiting for their new iPhone. It creates so much excitement that people even like to track the planes that their phones are on as they fly in from China. Given that we are interested in aviation things as well, I thought it might be interesting to show how you can track your new iPhone 8 too – before Apple even shows that it has shipped!
If your new iPhone 8 status from Apple’s order page shows as Preparing for Shipment, it means that your new iPhone 8 is in the process of being shipped out and may actually already be on its way from China.
Copy Order Number
While you are on that page, copy your order number (starting with a W) and you will take it to the next step.
Go to UPS Website
Go here to UPS and enter to Track by Reference. For your reference number, you will enter your order number from above minus the last 2 digits of the number.
If this does not show anything and your phone is showing Preparing for Shipment, try your cell number that the phone will be registered to. I have had it work both ways in the past. Last year, it worked with the Apple Order Number. This year, it worked with my cell phone number.
Also, enter your destination country and destination zip code to bring it up.
If it does not show your tracking number at first, register for the MyUPS to see the detailed information.
Additional Fun Information to Track Your New iPhone 8
The flight log of UPS planes that have iPhones on them
After you get your UPS tracking number, you can go here to this FlightAware page to see which UPS plane your phone is on and track it to the US. Yes, that is definitely for the very serious iPhone 8 / aviation fan but it might be something interesting to watch anyway!
What If You Ordered Through Your Carrier?
Some carriers, like Verizon, tend to ship with FedEx as well. If that is the case and the above information for UPS does not work, try using the same information here at the FedEx tracking page.
Takeaway
I have to say – I was a bit disappointed in the new iPhones this year. I am gradually being pulled back to Android and Samsung but Apple does have a bit of a hold on me. They way they continue to integrate their products and operating systems just makes it easy. I have a Mac and an iPad and I don’t think I could walk away from the functionality of the iPhone – yet.
But, there are a couple of interesting things that sound enticing for an upgrade to iPhone 8 and that is the 4K 60P video and the slo-mo at 1080P and 240fps. Another thing I like is fast charging as that is perfect for my lifestyle. So, we will see. But, that Samsung Note 8 sure looks pretty great!
Featured image from Apple
The Note 8 is the best phone I have ever used. I used to make fun of my wife for her “phablet,” but the Note 8 is a beast of a phone and looks great too. I have not 1 complaint so far, other than the case manufacturers are VERY slow to respond to this launch and don’t have nearly the selection they normally do for a Samsung launch.
Ohhhh, I want to switch so bad! For now, I use FaceTime and iMessage with way too many people during my travels and just about everyday. Hard to try and get them all to switch to something like Hangouts just for me. 🙂 Maybe i should get the SE and just keep that for stuff like that while i use the Note 8 for everything else! 🙂
Glad to hear you like it!
Don’t forget about the Pixel 2 and Pixel XL coming out next month. 🙂 Love the Pixel! Although family would love it if I went back to Apple. If only Apple would make a bezel-less Iphone SE