Apple iPhone 16 preorders are live this Friday: here's everything you need to know
Times, promotions, and the low-down on the biggest upgrades
Apple has just confirmed that iPhone 16 preorders will go live this Friday worldwide, so there's not long to wait to get your hands on the latest premium flagships from the brand.
The new devices are, as expected, the Apple iPhone 16, iPhone 16 Plus, iPhone 16 Pro, and iPhone 16 Pro Max. All four carry significant new upgrades to the chipset, cameras, and a host of new AI features that the brand is calling 'Apple Intelligence'. Overall, Apple has put a massive focus on not only internal hardware improvements but also on software with these devices, although you'll still see new colors and fresh design tweaks like the new Camera Control button.
The devices will debut at the same starting price as last year ($799), and preorders will start at 5:00 AM PDT / 8:00 AM ET / 1:00 PM GMT. The devices are due to ship by Sept. 20 so there will be a short wait time before the iPhone 16 range is officially released.
Row 0 - Cell 0 | US starting price | UK starting price |
iPhone 16 | $799 | £799 |
iPhone 16 Plus | $899 | £899 |
iPhone 16 Pro | $999 | £999 |
iPhone 16 Pro Max | $1199 | £1199 |
What promotions will there be?
- Trade-in rebates confirmed for both US and UK
- Up to $650 off at Apple
- Up to £645 off at Apple UK
- Up to $1,000 off at major carriers
While preorders aren't live just yet, Apple has already confirmed several of the trade-in rebates that will be available from Friday. As expected, Apple itself has a rebate of up to $650 / £645 off for unlocked devices across the entire range, which is exactly the same discount that's been available at the official store for a few months now.
Apple's keynote event also mentioned trade-in rebates of up to $1,000 off in the US, which will almost certainly be from AT&T, Verizon, and T-Mobile. No deals have been listed on the Apple site just yet so we'll have to wait until Friday for official confirmation in regard to specifics. Similarly, contract deals at the major networks in the UK won't be going live until Friday so we can't list pricing just yet.
Our standalone iPhone 16 deals page will be covering launch promotions in more detail over the next few days, including recommendations for the best savings this Friday.
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 compared to the previous models. From the new A18 series chips built from the ground up for AI integration to the improved cameras, these devices offer plenty of enticing new features.
First up, the A18 Series chipsets come with the debut of 'Apple Intelligence', which, as the name suggests, is a whole suite of new AI features across the entire range of existing Apple apps. Think ChatGPT-like language models for texts or emails, image and emoji generators, and a new 'Visual Intelligence' app that is just like Google Lens.
In terms of hardware, the iPhone 16 series not only features new chipsets but also an improved camera with a new physical camera control button that directly interacts with the camera app. Apple is calling the new 48MP main camera the 'Fusion camera' since it can seamlessly switch between high-resolution images and more storage-friendly images, plus Stereoscopic capture for Apple Vision Pro.
The iPhone 16 Pro and Pro Max feature slightly bigger 6.3-inch and 6.9-inch displays with slimmer bezels versus their predecessors. The main upgrades for the Pro models this year include the option for 4K video at 120FPS (perfect for slow motion) as well as the usual 48MP wide angle lens and 5x telephoto (12MP and 2x on the standard iPhone 16).
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Alex is TechRadar's deals editor, specializing in getting our readers the bang bang for the buck on the tech that we know and love. He's a dab hand at covering retailer events like Black Friday and Amazon Prime Day having over seven years of e-commerce experience at Future PLC; including bylines at our sister sites T3 and GamesRadar. Alex's expertise touches on most areas of TechRadar but he has a particular love for phones, laptops, and cameras, being an avid photographer. Outside of work, you'll find him indulging his love for street and travel photography, at home working on music, or down at the local climbing gym.