Apple Will Show off the iPhone 16 Sept. 10, for Real This Time

Apple has set the date for its next big hardware release—at least, the company will soon enough. Before Apple had the chance to send out its invites, Bloomberg beat it to the punch and declared Sept. 10 is the date of Apple’s big event. 

Apple’s most routinely accurate rumormonger, Mark Gurman, reported based on anonymous sources that the iPhone 16 (and its odd brown hue), along with new AirPods and Apple Watches, will arrive on the second Tuesday of next month. It’s the date most people who have reported on Apple for any length of time already assumed, so it’s not too big a surprise. Last year’s iPhone 15 announcement came on Sept. 12, the second Tuesday of the month.

Sept. 10 is the same date proposed by a fake invite that made the rounds earlier this week. It was prompted by a routine leaker who goes by Majin Bu on Twitter. Another tweet by the account @lorevfx claimed they created the invite in Figma using an AI-generated texture and then sent it to the leaker. Apple’s email invites always look spartan, so it doesn’t take that much know-how to fake one.

We expect the iPhone 16 will likely come in three separate models: the regular, the Pro, and the Pro Max. Gurman noted the Pro models might have larger screens than the iPhone 15 high-end models. Beyond size, the big rumored new addition to the hardware is a dedicated camera button that works like a DSLR. You would hold it down to frame the subject, then press it fully to snap the photo. The regular iPhone 16 should also receive the 15 Pro’s programmable Action Button. Leaked images show the camera bumps may also be redesigned next go around.

We’re also supposed to get the final versions of iOS 18, iPadOS 18, macOS Sonoma, and other updates for the company’s watches, earbuds, and Vision Pro headset next month. Apple will likely show off some of how the iPhone 16 takes advantage of iOS 18. We expect Apple to showcase some of its promised Apple Intelligence features working on the iPhone 16. Currently, the only mobile device that’s supposed to employ Apple’s improved Siri and other on-device AI capabilities is the iPhone 15. 

We’ll also see the debut of the Apple Watch Series 10, which rumors have suggested may be called the ominous Series X, like the 11th-gen iPhone. Gurman has noted that Apple will push thinner watches with bigger screens. In addition, we may see new entry-level and mid-tier AirPods with better ANC.