Updated September 6 with new rumor making the release date more likely.
Like an airplane on a glidepath, the iPhone 16 series is there in the distant sky, slowly coming in to land. You’ll want to know what’s coming and when, so you can be ready to tune in to the keynote for a start (details of how to watch below) and when it will be available to buy: a new report has just emerged which seems to signal exactly when that will be.
It’s just days until the iPhone 15 seen here is replaced by the iPhone 16 series.
You’ll also need to know when pre-orders begin, down to the minute, so you can be front-of-the-line for the exact model, color and storage option you want. Full details of what’s coming are below.
Apple iPhone 16 Release Schedule: The New Onsale Date Hint
Apple may have just quietly confirmed the onsale date. As you’ll see below, the smart money is on Friday, Sept. 20. Apple’s news came in an announcement in the last few hours on the Swedish Apple website, revealing that it’s opening a new store at the Mall of Scandinavia near Stockholm (as spotted by Joe Rossignol at MacRumors).
Friday, Sept. 20 is the opening day for the store. Coinkidink? I think not. Of course, it’s not a direct statement but think of it this way. If the store opened on the day before, it would have no store signage for the iPhone 16 and would need a quiet marketing refit after closing time—as every other Apple Store will need to do. How much better to really throw an opening party, by putting the latest products on sale at the very same moment? Apple Store openings tend to attract crowds and so do iPhone launch days. Combine the two and the place could be really buzzing.
Apple always releases its iPhones to sale on a Friday, a hangover from when it would proudly announce opening weekend sales.
Apple iPhone 16: The Keynote
Date And Time
This is set for a Monday—a day Apple hasn’t tried before for an iPhone launch—and is on Sept. 9. It starts at 10 a.m. Pacific, that’s 1 p.m. Eastern and 6 p.m. U.K. time.
What To Expect
We’ll get to see four new iPhones in full detail, showing design changes and confirming the processor, the upgrades such as camera changes and of course how important Apple Intelligence will be. We’ll get a lot of talk about Apple Intelligence.
Pricing
We’ll also hear the pricing for the new iPhones. Will it increase, as some rumors have said, by $100 per model? I don’t know, but my gut says no, Apple will keep prices as they are.
We’ll also see at least two new Apple Watch models, Series 10 and Ultra 3, though there could be a surprise new Apple Watch SE, too. Pricing for all will be revealed.
And new AirPods are on the way, perhaps two versions of the entry-level rather than the Pro variety.
How To Watch
Apple has an events page on its website which says: “Tune in at apple.com or on the Apple TV app.” That’s standard stuff. There’s a button on the page where you can add the event to your calendar so it can download the details of the event with the time set for your time zone.
Alternatively, you can go to Apple’s YouTube channel—here’s the link for that. It usually shows a countdown but that hasn’t happened this time. There’s a “Notify Me” button here as well.
The keynote will also confirm when pre-orders begin. In case you can’t wait…
Pre-Orders Open: Friday, Sept. 13, But Check Apple.com On Sept. 12
I’m sure this will happen on Friday, Sept. 13, and is likely to be at 5 a.m. Pacific (8 a.m. Eastern, 1 p.m. U.K.). Note that it’s worth checking out apple.com in case the company does, as it did last year, let you put the iPhone model you want with the right color and storage option in your online basket the night before, so you can click the second pre-orders go live. This applies to other products that go on sale on the same day.
Apple iOS 18: Monday, Sept. 16
If Apple follows its regular schedule, this will be Sept. 16 at 10 a.m. Pacific.
Apple iPhone 16 Release Date: Friday, Sept. 20
If you live in Australia or New Zealand, you could be the first to get the new iPhone. Apple opens its stores on local time, obviously, and people in those countries get into stores earliest: usually 8 a.m. local time.