Forgot to Pre-Order Your MacBook Pro? Apple Store Pickup Is Now An Option

Pre-orders for Apple's new 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models opened last Monday immediately after Apple's "Unleashed" event, and soon after, shipping estimates for all configurations began slipping by weeks and in some cases by over a month.

If you weren't able to pre-order after Apple's event for whatever reason, there's still a chance to get a 14-inch or 16-inch MacBook Pro when they launch on Tuesday.

In Australia, and in countries in Europe and East Asia that have Apple retail stores, 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pros in the stock configurations are already listed as available for in-store pickup (update: in-store pickup is now available in the U.S. and Canada too). In the United Kingdom, for example, Apple's online store shows the following configurations as available to pick up in-store today.

Availability wise, the only off-the-shelf model that doesn't appear to be widely available at U.K. retail stores is the top-spec 16-inch MacBook Pro with M1 Max chip, 32-Core GPU, and 32GB of memory, which costs a combined £3,299 ($3,499). This exception is likely to be replicated in other stores and countries.

If you intend to pick up a new MacBook Pro, once you proceed to the checkout and click the blue "Checkout" button, select "I'll pick it up," then choose a store location, pickup date, and an available 15-minute check-in window from the options.

If you will be picking up the ‌MacBook Pro personally, enter your phone number. If someone else will be arranging the pickup, enter his or her contact information. The person making the pickup must be carrying a valid photo ID.

Then, proceed with the checkout process as usual. Once payment has been made, wait until you receive a pickup notification email or text message before picking up the ‌MacBook Pro. If you don't receive one, call the store. Since the ‌MacBook Pro is paid for ahead of time, the store will hold the device in its back room until you arrive. Your order will be held for 14 days.

Of course, another option is to simply walk into an Apple store on Tuesday, preferably right when they open. In some instances, you may have to wait in line, but the queues have typically been shorter in recent years and shouldn't be anything like as long as iPhone launch days. Note that temperature checks and face masks may be required. You can use the pickup tool on Apple's website to check if stores in your local area have stock, or call the store directly.