Apple introduced that its iPhone 16 launch occasion will happen on Monday, September ninth, which is an uncommon day of the week for iPhone launches. Might Apple additionally change the preorder and launch dates from the same old Fridays following the launch occasion?
It appears unlikely, contemplating Apple’s fairly strict guidelines about launching new iPhones. However this isn’t a traditional 12 months for the iPhone, and Apple may need to promote the iPhone 16 as quickly as doable. Plus, there’s a report that already provides various preorder and launch dates for the iPhone 16 than we anticipate.
We anticipated the launch occasion to occur on September tenth, a Tuesday. All studies mentioned that was when Apple would announce the iPhone 16 collection. Preorders would begin on the primary Friday after that, September thirteenth. The second Friday (September twentieth) would turn into the iPhone 16’s launch date.
There’s a presidential debate set for September tenth, and that’s most likely why Apple went for a Monday occasion. I mentioned earlier this week that I nonetheless anticipate preorders to begin on September thirteenth. The telephone shall be stocked in shops on September twentieth.
Nevertheless, I additionally famous that Apple may do issues otherwise this 12 months. It has each motive to do it. iOS 18 would be the first iOS launch to pack native AI options. Whereas Apple Intelligence will most likely launch a bit later, it’ll be an enormous promoting level for the iPhone 16 telephones.
As a reminder, solely the iPhone 15 Professionals can run Apple Intelligence. Many individuals, myself included, will improve to the iPhone 16 to get entry to Apple AI.
Apple is operating behind Google in terms of genAI options constructed into cell working programs. As for Google, the Pixel maker tried to reap the benefits of Apple’s place by transferring the Pixel 9 launch to mid-August. That’s two months forward of the anticipated schedule. For the primary time, the Pixel flagships shall be accessible to consumers earlier than the latest iPhone launches.
Equally, Samsung launched its 2024 foldables a lot sooner than anticipated. The Galaxy Z Fold 6 and Flip 6 additionally include a couple of new Galaxy AI options on high of what Samsung unveiled in January.
All of that places stress on Apple. It could clarify why Apple would entertain a change in sample.
A machine translation of a report from the German weblog Macerkopf offers us completely different preorder and launch dates for the brand new iPhones. The weblog says they heard preorders will begin on Thursday, September twelfth. The iPhone 16 would launch in shops per week later, on September nineteenth, which can also be a Thursday.
The German weblog doesn’t specify the supply of the rumors, so I gained’t give it an excessive amount of credence. However once more, 2024 is a special type of 12 months for Apple. The iPhone 16 may very effectively launch earlier.
How a lot of a distinction would an additional day of iPhone gross sales make? Beginning gross sales on a Thursday as a substitute of a Friday may appear to be a minor element for consumers. However that might add a day of iPhone gross sales to Apple’s September quarter.
Apple offered nearly 232 million iPhones in 2023, which introduced in $200.58 billion. That offers us a median of 635,000 iPhone gross sales a day value round $550 million. I’d anticipate Apple to promote much more iPhones in the course of the first preorder weekend. Subsequently, day by day will certainly rely.
Moreover, I’ll level out a latest report from Counterpoint Analysis. The agency expects Apple to high $400 billion in world income in 2024, a primary for the corporate. Robust {hardware} gross sales will assist Apple attain that milestone, the agency mentioned. That features iPhone 16 gross sales.
The graph above reveals that Counterpoint Analysis expects Apple to promote about as many iPhones this 12 months as final 12 months. The iPhone 16 collection may account for an enormous chunk of that.
Lastly, I’ll point out Mark Gurman’s tidbit about Apple’s earlier-than-usual iPhone 16 assembly. Apparently, it’s occurring as early because the night of September twelfth fairly than subsequent Sunday. The insider posted his data on X a couple of days in the past. It didn’t imply that a lot by itself, however mixed with all the opposite data above, it hits otherwise.
What I’m getting at is {that a} Thursday begin for iPhone 16 preorders and in-store gross sales makes loads of sense, irrespective of how shocking it would sound to longtime iPhone homeowners.
