If you do pickup you can get it as early as 8am on 9/24. However, you can't track your new iPhone's journey from China to your front door. Thursday night (night before launch day), I got an email letting me know my iPhone will be available at my local Apple Store and to come during my time slot. Last year, they made me return my old iPhone at the store, but it seems this year, you will get the trade-in kit in the mail. That's way better! My UPS delivery person doesn't usually get to my huge apartment building until 6pm, so I'll be waiting all day next Friday. Oh well!