- Update: Our Apple 'Glowtime' event live blog is up and running. Check it out for our full coverage of the iPhone 16 launch!
When is the iPhone 16 release date? Apple is typically a creature of habit, though one rumor suggests that the timing could change a little this year. However, things might stay the same, if the launch of a brand new Swedish Apple Store is anything to go by.
Normally Apple opens pre-orders for new iPhones the Friday after they’re announced — which in this year’s case would be September 13. Release day is typically a week later, which would put the iPhone 16 release date on September 20. This is the day that Apple happens to be opening a new Apple Store at the Mall of Scandinavia near the Swedish capital of Stockholm.
There has been a rumor going around that Apple’s usual timeline could be accelerated by a single day. If true, this would see iPhone 16 pre-orders open on Thursday September 12, with release date following on September 19.
Now, it wouldn’t make a lot of sense to open up a brand new Apple Store the day after iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max go on general sale. Especially not when the Mall of Scandinavia is the biggest shopping center in Sweden — and one of the largest in the Nordic region. You’d think Apple would want to get as many people into the store as possible, so it can maximize early iPhone 16 sales.
Yes, a lot of people will be ordering their new phones online. It’s way more convenient that way, especially since you can get your order in a week early and not have to stand in line outside the Apple Store. But as we’ve seen every year, those early iPhones can sell out pretty quickly — and sometimes the only option you have is to pick one up at a nearby Apple Store.
Taking this route could also guarantee you get the new phone on release day, rather than being at the whim of your local FedEx delivery van. Plus, it means you can check out some extra accessories, like cases and the Apple Watch 10, while you’re there.
Plus, considering there are only 2 other physical Apple Stores in Sweden right now, it makes sense to try and tie the store’s grand opening with the iPhone 16 launch. After all, the opening of a new Apple Store is often treated as an event in itself. Combine it with the release of a brand new iPhone and I imagine hype levels will be through the roof.
Or maybe that’s not going to be the case, and Swedish Apple fans will have to wait until after iPhone 16 release day to check out the newest store. But it feels like this would be a wasted opportunity.
More from Tom's Guide
- iPhone 16 release date — when can you buy a new iPhone?
- iPhone 16 vs. iPhone 14: Biggest expected upgrades
- Skip the iPhone 16 and get a free iPhone 15 Pro right now — here's how
