It’s (almost) “Glowtime”, everybody, and we all know what that means. Okay, we technically have no idea what’s up with Apple‘s just-revealed tagline for its big September 9 event, but it’s no secret what devices will be unveiled on that date at the Steve Jobs Theater at Apple Park in Cupertino, California and online on the tech giant’s official website and YouTube channel.
This year’s massively anticipated iPhone 16 series announcement will kick off at 10 am PT on Monday, September 9, and if you don’t know your timezones very well, allow us to convert that for some of the most populates places on Earth:
1 pm in New York City;
6 pm in London;
7 pm in Paris;
1 am (September 10) in Beijing;
2 am (September 10) in Tokyo;
10:30 pm in New Delhi;
3 am (September 10) in Sydney.
In addition to the iPhone 16, 16 Plus, 16 Pro, and 16 Pro Max, Apple is extremely likely to unveil two new smartwatches at the same event, with a third one also being a distinct possibility but not quite a guarantee yet. We’re talking, of course, about the Apple Watch Series 10 (or Apple Watch X) and Apple Watch Ultra 3 on the one hand and a budget-friendly Apple Watch SE 3 on the other that may or may not come out this fall.
When will the iPhone 16 family be released?
While the general timing of this September 9 shindig is hardly shocking, largely coinciding with everyone’s expectations of seeing the iPhone 16 lineup announced during the first half of next month, holding a special Apple launch event on a Monday is definitely highly unusual. Tuesdays and Wednesdays have almost always been the company’s top choices for these affairs, which is why all recent predictions and (fake) leaks pointed to either a September 3 or September 10 event.
These concept renders envision the potential designs of the iPhone 16 Pro and 16 Pro Max.
That might actually be part of the reason why Apple opted for an unexpected date this time around, simultaneously aiming to keep things fresh and unpredictable and weed out any potential “moles” on the inside that could have prematurely made this information public. It remains to be seen now if the company will break with tradition in any way regarding the release schedule of its “next big things.”
Given that the iPhone 15, 15 Plus, 15 Pro, and 15 Pro Max all went up for pre-order on Friday, September 15, 2023 ahead of a general release on September 22, we can expect the iPhone 16, 16 Plus, 16 Pro, and 16 Pro Max to welcome their earliest adopters with open arms on either September 12 or 13 this year before hitting stores on September 19 or 20. What we can be almost certain of is that the iPhone 16 series will not be delayed until Apple Intelligence is ready for primetime in October… or beyond.
On the bright side, the non-Pro iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus are tipped to retain the $799 and $899 US starting prices of their predecessors… in 128GB storage variants.
Adrian, a mobile technology enthusiast since the Nokia 3310 era, has been a dynamic presence in the tech journalism field, contributing to Android Authority, Digital Trends, and Pocketnow before joining PhoneArena in 2018. His expertise spans across various platforms, with a particular fondness for the diversity of the Android ecosystem. Despite the challenges of balancing full-time parenthood with his work, Adrian’s passion for tech trends, running, and movies keeps him energized. His commitment to mid-range smartphones has led to an eclectic collection of devices, saved from personal bankruptcy by his preference for ‘adequate’ over ‘overpriced’.
