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.
The AirPods matter is similarly unclear at the moment, with some rumors pointing to one or two new variants going official in September and others suggesting we may have to wait until October or a later date to get long overdue upgrades to Apple's existing wireless earbuds and/or over-ear headphones.
On the software front, iOS 18 is naturally expected to make its proper debut on the iPhone 16 quartet, with Apple Intelligence tools also guaranteed to receive a lot of attention at this upcoming "Glowtime" event... before actually rolling out to the masses in October.
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.
As far as prices are concerned, we're afraid a number of persistent recent rumors are calling for a bit of a hike for the iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max compared to their predecessors. Specifically, it appears that Apple's top guns this year could start at $1,099 and $1,299, up from $999 and $1,199 for the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max at launch.
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.
Create a free account and join our vibrant community
Register to enjoy the full PhoneArena experience. Here’s what you get with your PhoneArena account:
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'.
Loading Comments...
COMMENT
All comments need to comply with our
Community Guidelines
Phonearena comments rules
A discussion is a place, where people can voice their opinion, no matter if it
is positive, neutral or negative. However, when posting, one must stay true to the topic, and not just share some
random thoughts, which are not directly related to the matter.
Things that are NOT allowed:
Off-topic talk - you must stick to the subject of discussion
Offensive, hate speech - if you want to say something, say it politely
Spam/Advertisements - these posts are deleted
Multiple accounts - one person can have only one account
Impersonations and offensive nicknames - these accounts get banned
Moderation is done by humans. We try to be as objective as possible and moderate with zero bias. If you think a
post should be moderated - please, report it.
Have a question about the rules or why you have been moderated/limited/banned? Please,
contact us.
FCC OKs Cingular\'s purchase of AT&T Wireless
Things that are NOT allowed: