iPhone 16, Apple Watch, AirPods Release Date: All The New Products On Sale Now
by David Phelan · ForbesApple’s latest products are now on sale. From the moment the Apple Store opens wherever you are, you’ll be able to buy new iPhones, AirPods and Apple Watches. Here’s the what, when and how much.
iPhone 16 Release Date: On Sale Date And Time
Apple Stores are opening early today, and while the blockbusting lines are no longer a thing now since so many purchases are made online, expect an atmosphere bordering on the euphoric with a big round of applause as the first people walk through the door.
Actually, I went to the Regent Street, London, store Friday morning for the opening, and it was very busy, with a line stretching round the corner both when I arrived and left.
The date is Friday, Sept. 20, and the opening time, for all Apple Stores, is 8 a.m. in your time zone.
At the store, I talked to Ben Wood, analyst from CCS Insight, who had this to say about the new products: “The iPhone 16 marks the start of Apple’s big push into AI. The company is betting that Apple Intelligence will offer something new to consumers for whom smartphones are not exciting as they used to be. Beyond AI, Apple is sensible to be focusing on the new iPhone’s camera capabilities. CCS Insight’s consumer research shows that the camera is one of the main considerations when investing in a new mobile phone.”
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And he had a comment for British customers: “Although Apple Intelligence features won’t arrive officially in the U.K. until the end of the year, the iPhone 16 range is a future-proof purchase for anyone looking for an upgrade, as it has the horsepower to support all the AI features as they are rolled out.”
iPhone 16 Release Date: The iPhones
There are four iPhones on sale now, the iPhone 16, 16 Plus, 16 Pro and 16 Pro Max. You can read my review of the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus here, and the iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max here.
The new and noteworthy features on all the models are a very helpful Camera Control button, a tougher glass on the front, the second-generation Ceramic Shield, better cameras and the capability to support Apple Intelligence, Apple’s big take on AI (which is coming in October). Oh, and bigger batteries and longer battery life all round.
The iPhone 16 and 16 Plus come in superb bright new colors with an upgraded design. They have a better Ultra Wide camera, which facilitates macro shots. On the main camera there’s a clever system that creates an optical telephoto 2x zoom on the main by cropping into the central 12 megapixels on the 48-megapixel sensor, first seen last year. Prices start at $799.
The iPhone 16 Pro and 16 Pro Max have a new Ultra Wide camera, too, this time boosting the sensor’s resolution to 48 megapixels. And the 5x zoom equivalent telephoto camera is now on both sizes of Pro. The Pro costs from $999, the Pro Max from £1,199.
iPhone 16 Release Date: Apple Watch
Along with four iPhones there are two new Apple Watches — well, one-and-a-half maybe. The Series 10 is the slickest-looking Apple Watch yet (read my review here) and has the biggest display on the 46mm model. It introduces sleep apnea monitoring, faster charging and a display with better usability, and it’s updated every second in standby mode. It’s also the thinnest Apple Watch yet. Prices from $399.
The half-release is Apple Watch Ultra 2 from last year now reissued in a frankly gorgeous black finish that looks sultry and sophisticated. As before, this costs $799.
iPhone 16 Release Date: Apple AirPods 4
Two new versions of regular AirPods go on sale today, too (reviewed here). One has active noise cancellation ($179), while the other doesn’t ($129). But both are significant upgrades on what came before, and the entry-level in particularly is appealingly priced. And they come in the smallest AirPods case yet.