When Apple first started accepting orders last month, I postponed my iPhone 13 Pro Max order. Reports of long delivery times seem to be true, at least in my case: I will have to wait 4-5 weeks for my new Sierra Blue smartphone to arrive.

I had decided to upgrade from the iPhone 12 Pro Max to the iPhone 13 Pro Max before the iPhone 13 series was announced at the September Apple event. Thanks to Apple's iPhone upgrade program, as long as I pay my monthly installments and keep my loaner phone in good condition, I can get the latest phone every year.

I decided that Apple's iPhone Upgrade Program was worth it last year when I got an iPhone 12 Pro Max and got 3% back on every payment using my Apple card.

But if you remember, the iPhone 12 Pro Max was not released until last November due to production delays. So I started the upgrade program, thinking I could get priority for the iPhone 13 with my final iPhone payment last year.

However, a notification from the Apple Store app informed me that I could make my final payment early and start the iPhone 13 early. I had just ordered an iPad mini 6 (for free) so I decided to hold off.

I did not realize how patient I would have to be. This week I finally got around to setting up my iPhone 13 Pro Max, paid for my iPhone 12 Pro Max last month, and was informed that a replacement unit was scheduled to arrive the second week of November.

A little disappointed? I've been seeing more and more videos shot in cinematic mode and images shot in macro mode on social media, and I've been itching to try out the iPhone 13 camera tools myself. Plus, I've shot a few TikToks recently (just follow Tom's Guide on TikTok to find out), so I want the best camera phone possible.

On the bright side, we've seen Apple orders ship well above estimates in the past. Supply chain issues and chip shortages are the bane of the entire tech industry, but it is possible that the company is being deliberately cautious with delivery dates. If I end up getting my iPhone 13 Pro Max sooner than expected, I will be sure to let you all know.

You've heard it on the news, in a boring dinner conversation, or from a guy in a nice suit yelling into his earphones on the street - many devices don't come for the expected two days Amazon has planted in Prime Shopping. If you've been waiting for the Black Friday shopping season to buy a new tech product, many retailers are offering discounts now to give shoppers time to get their gifts ready in time for the holiday shopping season.

In addition to a little photography FOMO, I'm not really in a rush to get an iPhone 13 Pro Max. I guess there is such a thing as delayed gratification. But if you're equally slow to order a new smartphone, or any other holiday gadget, know that delays may await you, and plan accordingly.