All screenshots are taken from Apple PH website
I know.
I know I have bought an iPhone 12 Pro 7 months ago and now I'm ordering the latest iPhone.
I know I'm really spoiling myself atm. No, I don't have a shopping addiction (yet). Hahaha.
But when I bought my iPhone 12 Pro, I wished I had bought the Pro Max instead since it has a bigger screen and if I'm upgrading my phone why not just upgrade to the biggest screen, right? I only bought the Pro since I already ordered some screen protectors and cases for the pro. It would be a waste if I won't be able to use them cos I decided last minute to buy the pro max.
I also know that another iPhones are coming this year. So if I like the new ones, I can just order them and sell my 12 pro, which I'm planning to do now.
Ordering in the Philippines
We don't have an official Apple physical store here in the Philippines yet so all we can do is wait for the authorized resellers to get their stocks and it usually takes 1-2 months after release for them to finally have stocks.
There was a previous pre-order event on Power Mac Centers (authorized Apple reseller) but unfortunately I didn't know it was limited slots, so I wasn't able to get one.
I know it will take another weeks or a month to finally be able to get new stocks so after a lot of research, I finally decided to order from the official Apple Philippines online store.
Okay, so here are the things you need to know if you plan on buying one from Apple PH store (and app, they are just the same).
FAQs
Where does it ship from?
Since there's no Apple physical store in the Philippines, the online store ships from Singapore.
How long does it take to ship?
According to the website, the temporary ETA is 2 months, but it will be changed once the phone has successfully shipped out which will happen in 2 days.
I've read a lot of articles, watched Youtube videos and from the local group that shipping usually takes 2-3 weeks before it can arrive. Since this is a new release I am expecting it to have a few weeks delay anyway but I'm not much of a hurry.
What about the warranty?
This one bothers me the most since in case some problems are encountered, shipping it back to Singapore is a big hassle but thankfully I found the answers.
Marion Serrano on Youtube explained very well that the products ordered the Apple PH store will be catered in authorized service centers here in the Philippines because the models from Singapore have the global variant. The phones and other cellular devices will also work since they are certified by the NTC here so there's really no problem with ordering from the Apple PH website or the Apple PH store app.
The iPhones that cannot be catered here are the ones bought from the USA, Japan, Hong Kong, and Canada and you'll need to send them to other countries just to get it fixed. So very much hassle!
What about the taxes?
There's no need to pay additional taxes or fees since you've already paid it with the product.
How much are the shipping fees?
The shipping fee is free! Which I also like about ordering from here.
Other pros and cons?
I've also read you can order in Apple Education store which gives you discounts (like 6k pesos and above) on products related to education (Macbook, iPad, apple pencil) and they don't require any student IDs. Haha. I haven't tried it yet but I should do that when I order my Macbook Pro soon.
The thing that I like here is that it is cheaper than the ones in resellers.
This one is 2,000 pesos cheaper than Power Mac Center. So if I wait for Power Mac to have new stocks, not only will I experience the hassle of reserving it quick but to also pay 2,000 pesos more lol. Ordering online, all I have to do is wait. :p
The only con that I can see is it will take you a few weeks before it will arrive and if you're impatient, this isn't for you! And also probably the shipping risks (getting lost, stolen, or whatever) but DHL is a reputable shipping company and for sure Apple will do their best to help you in case something like that happens.
So why am I upgrading?
Aside from the fact that I really wanted a bigger screen, the new iPhone 13 have received a lot of good reviews both from pro reviewers and from average users.
The iPhone 13 Pro Max has significantly better battery life which is important if I need to travel (I plan to keep this for years!). They aren't much upgrade from the 12 actually, so if you are already satisfied with the 12 it also works great and no need to upgrade now.
Also, it has better night mode pictures since it's pro max. It has better ultrawide lens too, which I really would love to improve cos it's SO USEFUL for travels. This night mode shit is also very very useful and I only started to realize I needed it when I traveled recently.
If you're an average user who don't care about these things, of course there's no need for you to buy this haha. Or if you really want, why not!
I also really love the cinematic mode and it will for sure awaken the videographer in me!
Overall, I'm really excited for this one to arrive!
Yeah, you can tell I'm an Apple fan, I've had enough of Androids and Windows (soon). But that's another topic. :p