Apple now taking iPhone 5 orders for in-store pickup

Do Apple’s three to four-week shipping estimates for the iPhone 5 have you down? It turns out you may not have to suffer through that marathon wait after all — assuming there’s an Apple Store nearby, at least. As predicted by 9to5Mac, the company is now letting customers buy its latest handset each night between 10PM and 4AM PST and pick up orders as early as the very next day (technically the same day if you’re ordering in the wee hours, we suppose).

How quickly you’ll receive a phone will depend on each local store’s stock, though with Apple bringing in daily deliveries it shouldn’t be long. Again, this is a pre-purchase, not a reservation. Since you’re paying up front, you’ll want to be sure when it comes to the big decisions of color and storage capacity; having a last-minute change of heart could present a problem. And if you’re lucky enough to secure Apple’s latest iOS handset, we’d recommend giving it a thorough inspection for physical defects before stepping foot outside the store, just in case.