Apple may open iPhone 16 pre-orders earlier than expected

Apple took everyone by surprise when the company announced an event for September 9 instead of September 10. The event, called "It's Glowtime," is where the iPhone 16 series will most likely be announced. A new report says that pre-orders will also go live earlier than expected.

Apple usually holds its iPhone events on Tuesdays. This year is going the be the first time in history that an iPhone is announced on a Monday. The iPhone 16 series will allegedly be revealed on September 9 because Apple doesn't want the US presidential debate, which will take place on September 10, to steal the limelight from its phones.

The company has been known to open pre-orders for its phones on the first Friday of the week they are revealed but this year, preorders will kick off on Thursday, September 12. The leak comes from German outlet Macerkopf but it's not clear if it's based on a reliable source or was made up based on the launch date.

Assuming pre-orders do start on September 12, it's also possible that the phones will be released on September 19, but that's just a shot in the dark from our side.

There's potential for everything to be a bit off the usual schedule this year. Apple is concerned about the declining iPhone sales and has reportedly started training its sales staff on Apple Intelligence features, as it's going to be an integral part of the sales pitch in retail stores.

The company is also going to hold a mandatory meeting for retail staff on the evening of September 12 or the morning of September 13. This again is a deviation from the usual cadence as such meetings usually take place on Sundays.

The iPhone 16 series is expected to be powered by new 3nm chips that may differ in their capabilities a little. The Pro models are rumored to sport bigger screens while the standard models will get the Action button and a realigned camera array. The entire lineup is likely to feature a Capture button for photography.