iPhone 16 preorders could start soon - here's when we think you'll be able to buy it

Apple has announced that its next major product showcase will take place on September 9, with an official reveal of the iPhone 16 lineup almost guaranteed. 

Those looking to get their hands on the iPhone 16, iPhone 16 Plus, iPhone 16 Pro, or iPhone 16 Pro Max will no doubt be thinking about preorders – and helpfully we can look to previous years for an estimate of when iPhone 16 preorders could go online. 

For context, the previous three iPhone generations have been announced mid-week, usually on a Tuesday, with preorders going live on the Friday of the same week.

With this year's event taking place on Monday, September 9, we can fairly safely predict that preorders for the iPhone 16 lineup will be available on Friday, September 13.

We can also reasonably expect that Apple won’t stagger iPhone preorders, as this has only recently happened in the unique climate of 2020 during the pandemic. Our prediction therefore stands no matter which model you’re after.

A similar pattern follows for iPhone release dates, which we’ve covered in our roundup of the latest iPhone 16 release date predictions. 

iPhone 16 preorder rumors

As established above, we believe that iPhone 16 preorders will go live on Friday, September 13 – and similar reports from The Independent, Forbes, and Tom’s Guide corroborate this prediction.

However, some rumors propose a slightly different date, such as a vague rumor stemming from German blog Macerkopf which suggests a preorder date of Thursday, September 12. 

We don’t think this rumor holds any weight though – as MacRumors notes, the blog did not provide a source or any reason for the change from Friday to Thursday. 

And while it is unusual for Apple to host an event on a Monday, it’s not the first time the company has strayed from hosting its September event on a Tuesday. The iPhone 14 was revealed on a Wednesday, with preorders available on the following Friday as usual. 

As for how much the new lineup will cost, we predict that prices will remain stable from last year, with the base-model iPhone 16 starting at $799 / £799 / AU$1,499 – though reports from last year of increased production costs for the iPhone 16 suggest a price rise isn’t out of the question.

Apple is likely to officially confirm the preorder date at the time the iPhone 16 family is announced, so we don’t have to wait long to see if our prediction holds up.

As the Apple ‘It’s Glowtime’ event approaches, we’ll have all the latest coverage of the iPhone 16 and other expected products like the Apple Watch 10, Apple Watch Ultra 3, and iOS 18. 

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