Apple confirmed in its Glowtime event early this morning that iPhone 16 pre-orders will go live globally this Friday September 13, so you don't have to wait long to get your hands on the latest premium Apple flagships.
Apple retained the same naming system as last year with the Apple iPhone 16, iPhone 16 Plus, iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max. All four carry significant changes, though, with both the chipset and cameras getting quite the upgrade, as well as a host of AI features thanks to the all-new 'Apple Intelligence'.
Apple has also put a heavy focus on making improvements to not only internal hardware, but software too. There's also some sweet design tweaks like the iPhone 16's new Camera Control button, and a suite of attractive new colours.
Possibly the biggest takeaway was the price of the devices, with Apple staying stagnant at the $799 USD mark we saw last year. Aussies are getting an even better deal, as the iPhone 16 will launch at AU$100 cheaper price than the iPhone 15 – at AU$1,399.
All major telcos – Vodafone, Optus and Telstra – have confirmed they will be offering pre-orders on the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Pro modelsJ, while JB Hi-Fi is also promoting iPhone 16 Pro pre-orders. There's no word yet on potential offers and deals, but we expect there will be. Pre-orders kick-off directly from Apple at 10:00pm on Friday September 13, with the devices set to ship on September 20.
| Row 0 - Cell 0 | AU starting price | iPhone 15 prices |
| iPhone 16 | AU$1,399 | AU$1,499 |
| iPhone 16 Plus | AU$1,599 | AU$1,649 |
| iPhone 16 Pro | AU$1,799 | AU$1,849 |
| iPhone 16 Pro Max | AU$2,149 | AU$2,199 |
What promotions will there be?
- Up to AU$1,125 off with Apple Trade-In
- 0% interest 24-month plans via Apple
- Promotions from retailers like Amazon, The Good Guys and JB Hi-Fi (TBC)
- Promotions from major telcos (TBC)
You can't snag yourself a new handset just yet, but if your current iPhone or is still in good nick, you can earn yourself up to AU$1,125 off your iPhone 16 through Apple Trade-In. According to Apple, only a mint-condition iPhone 15 Pro Max will earn the full amount, but there's still worthy savings to be had from older devices. A iPhone 13 Pro will earn you AU$565, while a 3rd Gen iPhone SE and iPhone 12 are worth AU$215 and AU$305 respectively.
Apple's Glowtime event also mentioned trade-in rebates of up to $1,000 off at major US retailers. While we have no word from Aussie retailers, if recent major phone releases of the Google Pixel Pro and Samsung Galaxy Fold 6 are anything to go by, you can expect great deals from the likes of JB Hi-Fi, The Good Guys, Amazon, Vodafone and Optus in the forms of store credit, discounts and trade-in bonuses.
No deals other than its regular Apple trade-in have been listed by Apple so we'll have to wait until Friday for confirmation of specifics. We'll standalone iPhone 16 pre-order pages covering the latest pre-order deals in the lead up to Friday, so be sure to keep an eye on our Apple coverage.
What's new with the iPhone 16?
- New A18 and A18 Pro chips
- Massive focus on new AI-integrated features
- 48MP "Fusion" camera
- Physical camera control function
Both the iPhone 16 and 16 Pro represent fairly substantial upgrades over previous models. From the all-new A18 chipsets that are purpose-built for AI integration to improved cameras and new features, there's plenty to be excited about.
First and foremost, Apple Intelligence is finally here thanks to those new A18 chips, and with it comes an abundance of AI functionality across the iPhone 16's entire range of existing Apple apps. There's language models for texts and emails that work similarly to ChatGPT, image and emoji generation and a Google Lens-like 'Visual Intelligence' app.
Then there's the improved camera, with a fresh new physical camera control button that directly interacts with the camera app. There's also what Apple is calling the 'Fusion camera' – thanks to the 48MP main camera's ability to seamlessly switch between high-resolution images and storage-friendly images.
The iPhone 16 Pro and Pro Max are bigger and more pro than ever, with 6.3-inch and 6.9-inch displays and slimmer bezels than their predecessors. The Pro models key upgrades this year include 4K video at 120FPS, which is perfect for slow motion capture, as well as the usual 48MP wide angle lens and 5x telephoto to the iPhone 16's 12MP and 2x.
