iPhone 16 release date is LEAKED online – and it suggests there’s not long to wait to see Apple’s next flagship

Apple fans might not have to wait much longer to see the company’s new flagship smartphone, the iPhone 16.

The California tech giant will unveil the latest generation of iPhones at an in-person event on September 10, according to an alleged online leak.

A serial Apple leaker known as Majin Bu shared a screenshot on X, formerly Twitter, which claims to shown the invite to Apple’s September special event.

The colour of the Apple logo in the invitation also nods to the possibility that fans might be getting a new ‘bronze’ colour for the titanium smartphone.

However, social media commenters have been sceptical of the leak’s authenticity and even Majin Bu himself says: ‘I have no way of verifying that this information is real, but it all seems very plausible considering the latest news.’

A serial Apple leaker known as Majin Bu shared a screenshot on X, formerly Twitter , which claims to shown the invite to Apple’s September special event 

In a post on X, Majin Bu wrote: ‘According to what I was told by a source who asked to remain anonymous, the new Apple event where the iPhone 16 will be presented, will be held on September 10 2024.’

Mr Bu also shared a picture of the supposed invitation, writing: ‘This should be the cover of the invitation.’

The ‘invitation’ shows the Apple logo in a brushed bronze colour with the phrase ‘Ready. Set. Capture.’

These additions appear to be nods to rumours that the new iPhone 16 pro will be available in a bronze colouration.

In the months leading up to the phone’s release, there have also been suggestions that the phones will feature significant camera improvements and a new ‘capture button’.

However, Majin Bu also says that he has no way of verifying the invitation and would not reveal the identity or qualifications of his source 

The bronze colour of the logo in the supposed invitation could be a reference to the alleged new ‘bronze’ colour which is rumoured to be arriving for the iPhone 16 Pro (pictured) 

There have been no details as to what this button might do but it is currently suggested that the button will be one of the main features of the new iPhone 16.

The invitation says the reveal will be held on September 10, 2024 at 10 am PT and will be held at the Steve Jobs Theater at Apple Park.

At the bottom of the invitation, an RSVP button can be seen as well as a note that invitations are not transferable.

The style of the invitation and location of the event are consistent with previous Apple special events, but the initial reaction online has been one of scepticism.

On X, one commenter responded to the leak saying: ‘That is the fakest looking invite of all time.’

On X, formerly Twitter, Apple fans were sceptical about the leak’s veracity 

Many commenters said that the invitation appeared to have been faked 

Others criticised the leaker for being ‘gullible’ enough to fall for a faked invitation 

Another added: ‘Thats the fakest shenanigans ever made,’ while another replied to Majin Bu saying: ‘Bro is so gullible’.

Majin Bu has not helped support his case by keeping his source anonymous and refusing to explain how the leak came to him.

Apple’s previous invitations have been made public so the style and format of an invitation would be relatively easy to duplicate.

Likewise, the details of the bronze Apple logo and the reference to the capture button refer to rumours that have been circulating widely for months and would not require any inside knowledge of the company to be included.

The phrase ‘Ready. Set. Capture.’ in the invitation is almost certainly a reference to the new ‘capture button’ which leaked renders (pictured) suggest will be a major feature of the new iPhone 16 

However, there is a strong argument that the date of September 10 shared in the email is likely to be correct.

As pointed out by Apple Insider, six of 10 iPhone launches between 2013 and 2023 have been on a Tuesday.

And with the exception of iPhone 12 which was delayed due to Covid, all of the launches have been within the first half of September.

Out of the two Tuesdays in the first half of September, September 3 is highly unlikely to be the launch date since this is Labour Day in the US.

Last year, the iPhone 15 Pro was released in four colours, pictured here – ‘black titanium’, ‘white titanium’, ‘blue titanium’ and ‘natural titanium’ (pictured left to right) but leaks suggest more colours could be on the way 

While Apple opted for more muted shades in the iPhone 15 range (pictured), recent suggests that this year’s flagship will come in brighter tones

That leaves Tuesday, September 10 as the only plausible Tuesday in the first half of September and makes it a plausible candidate for the launch date.

There is no way to know for certain, but if this is the case then pre-orders for the iPhone 16 could start as early as Friday, September 13.

Of course, Apple could just as easily break its habit and choose a different date but September still remains the most likely month for the new iPhone to be released.

As yet, there have been scant details about Apple’s latest flagship smartphone but recent leaks suggest that new colours are on the way.

These dummy models of the new iPhone 16 (pictured) suggest that there could be brighter colours on the way in September 

Leaked photos of four dummy iPhone 16 Pro units suggest that the phones will come in white, black, silver, and a surprising ‘bronze’ shade.

Earlier leaks also suggest that the basic iPhone 16 model will be available in five colours: blue, green, white, black, and pink.

But compared to last year’s shades, the leaked tones appear to be much brighter.

Prices for the new iPhone 16 family are expected to surpass the iPhone 15, which starts at £799 ($799) for the standard model, while the most expensive variation, the Pro Max, starts at £1,199 ($1,199) and goes up to £1,599 ($1,599) for 1TB of storage.

These latest models are also expected to make the most of Apple’s AI update: Apple Intelligence.

However, experts have suggested that the launch of the new AI platform could be delayed until October, at least a month after the iPhone 16 launches.

MailOnline has contacted Apple for comment. 

What is Apple Intelligence? 

At its Worldwide Developer Conference (WWDC), Apple heralded a new era of technology, dubbed ‘Apple Intelligence’.

Apple Intelligence is essentially a snazzy brand name for Apple’s new-found focus on AI, triggered by the huge success of the ChatGPT chatbot 18 months ago. 

The tech giant announced Apple Intelligence with great reverence as ‘the personal intelligence system that combines the power of generative models with personal context to deliver intelligence’. 

To put it more simply, it’s an umbrella term for all the jobs AI will be able to do on your iPhone, iPad and Mac computer – as long as it has the upcoming iOS 18 software and an all-important AI chip inside the device. 

Surely the biggest part of Apple Intelligence is the integration of OpenAI’s hugely popular chatbot ChatGPT with Siri, Apple’s in-built virtual assistant. 

iOS 18 users will be asked before any questions are sent to ChatGPT, along with any documents or photos, and Siri then presents the answer

Before WWDC, it was rumoured that Apple would be creating its own AI chatbot to rival ChatGPT, but instead it’s partnered with OpenAI to bring ChatGPT to Apple devices. 

It also includes tools like AI-generated emoji, an image generator and a ‘Clean Up tool’ that makes subtle edits to photos. 

According to Apple’s website, Apple Intelligence needs an up-to-date AI chip in a device to run – the A17 Pro (in iPhones) or the M1 or later (in iPads and Macs). 

Therefore, as it stands, the only two iPhones that will get Apple Intelligence are the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max – but not iPhone 15 standard version. 

Although it will be available on the upcoming iPhone 16, an expert has claimed that Apple Intelligence could be delayed until at least October – one month after the iPhone 16 hits the market.