Apple’s top phone right now is the iPhone 15 Pro Max, but not for long, as next month we expect the iPhone 16 Pro and the iPhone 16 Pro Max to launch – alongside the lower end iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus.
Apple hasn’t confirmed this just yet, let alone revealed exactly what date the launch will happen on, but between leaks and the company’s typical patterns we can take a very good guess – right down to not just the day, but the hour.
Below then, you’ll find our guess for when the iPhone 16 Pro and Pro Max will launch, along with our reasoning, and when we think the phones will go up for pre-order and ultimately ship.
When will the iPhone 16 Pro and Pro Max be announced?
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- Predicted announcement date: September 10
- Predicted announcement timing: 10am PT / 1pm ET / 6pm BST, or 3am AEST on September 11
Guessing the month that we’ll see the iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max is easy, because with very few exceptions, Apple always announces its new flagship phones in September.
When it does break with that tradition there’s usually a good reason, such as a pandemic or a major software feature that won’t be ready in time.
But a report in May suggested that iPhone 16 production was on schedule, so there aren’t many reasons to think there might be a delay. The only small thing to note is that Apple Intelligence has been delayed to iOS 18.1, which will probably launch in October. But according to Mark Gurman – who’s got a great track record for iPhone information – Apple won’t delay the iPhone 16 line to launch with this.
Gurman even gets more specific and says that he’s heard the iPhone 16 Pro and Pro Max will launch at around the same time in the year as the previous models, with September 10 looking the most likely.
For reference, the iPhone 15 Pro series landed on September 12 of last year, but this year September 12 is a Thursday, and Apple usually uses a Tuesday to announce its new phones, so September 10 (a Tuesday) is a likely candidate.
There’s also a chance that we could see the iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max on Tuesday, September 3, Wednesday, September 4, or Wednesday, September 11, as Wednesdays are occasionally used, but the company almost always sticks to the first two weeks of September.
However, with Gurman having such a good track record we’d say September 10 is looking the most likely of those dates.
As for what time the launch event will kick off, based on past form it will probably start at 10am PT / 1pm ET / 6pm BST, which is 3am AEST on September 11 for those in Australia.
When will iPhone 16 Pro and Pro Max pre-orders open?
- Predicted pre-order date: September 13
We can go by Apple’s typical patterns here too, as the company almost always opens pre-orders for its new phones the Friday of the week they’re announced.
So if they’re announced on September 10 as we predict, or on September 11 as is also possible, then pre-orders will most likely open on Friday, September 13.
In the slightly less likely but still very possible event that the phones are announced on September 3 or 4, then you’ll probably be able to pre-order the iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max on Friday, September 6.
When will the iPhone 16 Pro and Pro Max ship?
- Predicted shipping date: September 20
The date when a pre-ordered iPhone 16 Pro or iPhone 16 Pro Max will arrive on your doorstep is similarly predictable, as this is usually a week after pre-orders open.
So if pre-orders open on September 13 (as we predict) then the phones will probably ship on Friday, September 20. That’s our best guess, but it’s also possible that they’ll ship on September 13, if they go up for pre-order on September 6.
There’s an outside chance that Apple will deviate from its usual pre-order or release date patterns, but there’s no current reason to think it will this year.
