The iPhone 16 is about a month away, as Apple routinely launches its newest iPhone in mid-September. A new report from Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman says that Apple isn’t likely to delay the latest iPhone models so they can run Apple Intelligence out of the box.
Apple is expected to launch the first Apple Intelligence features only via an iOS 18.1 update later this year. That is, the iPhone 16 won’t have any of the advanced Apple Intelligence features on board on release date. Moreover, the smarter Siri experience that Apple showed off at WWDC in June will not be ready until some point in 2025.
As exciting as AI might be for the future of the iPhone, and other types of computers, I never expected Apple to delay the iPhone 16 so the handset can ship with the new Apple Intelligence features on board. The iPhone is just too important for Apple’s bottom line not to have a new model in stores during the third quarter of the year, which ends in September.
Not to mention the increased competition this summer. Samsung brought up its foldable event to mid-July to promote the Galaxy Z Fold 6 and Flip 6 at the Summer Olympic Games in Paris. More impressive is Google’s Pixel 9 event, which is happening next week. That’s two months earlier than the usual October launch keynotes we got for previous Pixel phones.
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Apple needs the iPhone 16 in stores in September, even without AI on board. The iPhone 16 will compete directly against these new Android devices. Preorder sales will also contribute to its September quarter.
Remember that Apple stuck to its September launch event for years except for the first year of the pandemic. Yes, some models saw delays, with the iPhone X and iPhone XR being such examples. But they were announced during the September launch events.
Also, remember that not everyone will want AI features from the iPhone 16. As for those who do, some will not get it when Apple Intelligence launches in the US. I am one of them, as Apple will need more time to bring its genAI iOS 18 features to Europe.
I pointed out earlier this year that iOS 18 has plenty of exciting features that made me want to try the beta as soon as it came out. They have nothing to do with Apple Intelligence. A few days ago, I gave you eight reasons why the iPhone 16 will be a great upgrade. I’m about to drop the iPhone 14 Pro for a 2024 iPhone model. Apple Intelligence wasn’t one of those reasons.
Gurman detailed the Apple Intelligence features you can use in iOS 18.1 beta 1, saying they’re far from impressive. We’re still early, and Apple will need time to make all those AI novelties happen. The reporter said in his Power On newsletter that the iPhone 16 will launch on time, in September, despite Apple Intelligence only being released in October.
Gurman says the 2024 iPhone launch will occur around the same time as last year. That makes September 10th a “probable date” for the launch event. That’s a Tuesday, which makes perfect sense, given Apple’s way of doing things. Last year, Apple launched the iPhone 15 series on September 12th.
If Apple launches the iPhone 16 series on September 10th, preorders will start on the first Friday after that, September 13th. Buyers around the world will be able to get it. The iPhone 16 release date will fall on September 20th, the second Friday after the launch event. Apple has yet to confirm these dates, of course, but they’re very likely accurate.
This schedule gives Apple 17 days of iPhone 16 sales in September, which should be enough to boost its September quarter results. Again, there’s no point in delaying the hardware, so Apple Intelligence is ready.