iPhone 16 launch date: Apple to unveil flagship devices on September 9

It's Glowtime may tease an evolution of Siri with the much-awaited Apple Intelligence

Apple's next iPhones are said to feature a new 'capture button' that could be used to trigger camera functions. Reuters

Apple has announced that it will reveal what is expected to be the iPhone 16 line-up on September 9, earlier than usual at a busy time on the US technology and political calendars.

Routine holds with the second week of September for the California-based tech giant's iPhone launch party – this year called It's Glowtime – but on a Monday instead of the usual Tuesday or Wednesday.

Apple's decision means the iPhone unveiling will overlap with the IFA expo in Berlin, one of the most recognised technology events in the world, and Oracle CloudWorld in Las Vegas.

It will, however, avoid the first debate between US presidential candidates Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris scheduled for September 10, which was a date suggested in media circles for the iPhone launch.

As for the release date, because Apple usually begins selling its new iPhones on the Friday of the week after unveiling, the latest devices are expected to be available on September 20.

Apple's new iPhones are a sales magnet for the important holiday shopping season and the company's fourth-quarter performance.

The announcement of the new devices is a “strategic move aligned with the ongoing trend towards premiumisation in the smartphone market”, said Jeff Fieldhack, a research director at Counterpoint Research.

“Apple’s global sales remained flat but recorded strong year-on-year growth in Europe and Latin America, which compensated for the low upgrade rates in the US and share loss in China following Huawei’s rise,” he told The National.

“However, Apple reported improvement in sales in China during the summer 618 Shopping Festival, where it offered attractive discounts. In the second half, the new iPhones with Apple Intelligence are expected to drive upgrade demand.”

What could It's Glowtime mean?

Apple has always used the logo on its launch invitations to create a hype for its next iPhones. The It's Glowtime tagline for 2024 seems to allude to its hotly-anticipated Apple Intelligence, the company's generative artificial intelligence offering.

This year's logo seems to depict a variation of Siri, Apple's resident digital voice assistant. Siri glows when users interact with it, and the logo might be a clue on how it would behave on the next iPhones.

Clicking on the invitation redirects to Apple's events website, where the Apple logo glows in a manner distinct from Siri.

It is unclear, however, if Apple will retain Siri or create a new function to use Apple Intelligence.

The logo could also be a teaser for colours. Leaks have purportedly claimed that the iPhone 16 devices would come in black, blue, green, pink, purple, silver, white, yellow and black, and even desert titanium for the Pro variants.

What iPhones will Apple launch?

Apple does not confirm details of its coming devices ahead of their launch, nor does it comment on rumours and speculation. The company, however, is widely expected to launch the iPhone 16 series that comprises, once again, four devices.

These would include the base iPhone 16 and 16 Plus, which are expected to retain their 6.1-inch and 6.7-inch displays, respectively, and the top-end iPhone 16 Pro and 16 Pro Max, said to have bigger 6.3-inch and 6.9-inch screens, respectively.

A chip upgrade is also certain, with the A18 (possibly with a Pro tag) on all four devices, if reported code leaks are to be believed. This would be a break from the past two iPhone cycles, in which the two base models used the previous year's processors.

Design-wise, the camera block's lenses on the iPhone 16 and 16 Plus, according to renders and purported images, would switch back to a vertical stack last seen in the iPhone 12. The Pro models are to retain their recognisable triangular formation.

If tradition holds, Apple is also expected to launch new AirPods, maybe including a second AirPods Max, the third versions of the Apple Watch Ultra and Watch SE, and a milestone-making Apple Watch Series 10, which we bet will be stylised as “X”.

And, of course, the new iPhones are expected to use iOS 18 and Apple Intelligence.

Another new button?

One reported addition to the iPhone 16 Pro and 16 Pro Max is a “capture button”, which implies it will be for the camera. Whether the button, said to be positioned on the right of the new devices, would open the camera app or instantly be able to snap a shot is uncertain.

That could be the second year in a row Apple adds a new hardware part on its flagship device, after last year's Action Button, which triggers certain functions.

And while the Action Button was solely for the iPhone 15 Pro variants, word is that the capture button will be used across all four iPhone 16 models.

One thing we'd like to see on the new iPhones' button(s) is more flexibility. Currently, the Action Button only has 10 choices, so it would be nice to maybe expand that or give users a free hand on what to assign it to. The same goes for the capture button, should that come to fruition.

How much will iPhone 16 cost?

Apple is expected to maintain its pricing tiers – well, for the most part, apparently.

While the iPhone 16, 16 Plus and 16 Pro Max's starting prices would remain at $799, $899 and $1,199, respectively, the 16 Pro is said to begin at $1,099, according to Apple-focused news site Apple Hub, which also posted the new devices' purported specifications.

That $100 price increase would mirror similar moves made this year by Samsung Electronics on its Galaxy S24 Ultra and both Galaxy Z foldables, and Google's latest Pixel 9 devices.

Are smartphones becoming too expensive? That may be a discussion for another day – maybe after we see what Apple has in store for us.