Predicting most of the specs of an upcoming iPhone is difficult until details start leaking, but predicting the release date is much easier since Apple tends to follow a pattern.
So while there are no leaks yet about the actual release date of the iPhone 16, we can make a good guess as to when these phones are likely to launch, including the iPhone 16 itself, the iPhone 16 Plus, the iPhone 16 Pro, and the iPhone 16 Pro Max.
Below you'll find our predictions for the iPhone 16 announcement date, when the iPhone 16 lineup will be available for pre-order, and when the phones will actually be available.
iPhone 16 release date predictions
Apple typically announces new iPhones in September; for example, the iPhone 15 series will be unveiled on September 12, 2023.
More specifically, the company typically uses the first or second week of September to make its announcement, and its preferred day is Tuesday, so the most likely announcement date this year is September 3 or 10.
However, Apple sometimes holds its events on Wednesdays, so September 4 and 11 are also possible announcement dates.
Of course, it's always possible that Apple will break with tradition this year. It's done so before, such as with the iPhone 12 line that was announced in October of its launch year.
But that seems unlikely, especially since, at least in May, iPhone 16 production had been going on schedule, so there would be no obvious reason for a delay. For now, the above dates are our best guesses, with September 3 or 10 being the most likely of all.
iPhone 16 pre-order date predictions
Apple typically opens pre-orders for its new phones on the Friday of the week they're announced. So if the company announces the iPhone 16 line on September 3 or 4, pre-orders will likely open on September 6.
On the other hand, if the phones are announced on September 10 or 11, then we can expect pre-orders to open on September 13.
However, these predictions assume that our release date predictions are correct. If Apple chooses a different day to announce the iPhone 16, then the pre-order date will likely be different as well.
iPhone 16 ship date predictions
Apple also follows a predictable pattern for when its new phones ship and go on sale to the public. This typically occurs a week after pre-orders open.
So, if, as previously predicted, pre-orders open on September 6, then the iPhone 16 will likely go on sale on Friday, September 13. However, if pre-orders begin on September 13, then the phones will likely ship on the following Friday, September 20.
Again, this assumes our pre-order date predictions are accurate, which in turn assumes our announcement date predictions are correct. So there is a chance that Apple could deviate from these dates.
Will the four expected iPhone 16 models arrive at the same time?
Based on the above results, we would certainly expect all four models to be announced at the same time, and there's a good chance they'll all ship at the same time as well.
The only reason they might not is if Apple is hit by production issues, as was the case with the iPhone 12 series, for example, where the iPhone 12 mini and iPhone 12 Pro Max didn't ship until almost a month after the other models.
However, there are no reports of production issues with the iPhone 16 series at this time, so we do not currently anticipate delays for any model.
