New Apple Store could confirm iPhone 16 Pro release date

We know when Apple will launch the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Pro, but when will Tim Cook and his team put the new phones in the hands of loyal fans? Thanks to the opening of a brand new Apple Store in Sweden, Apple has all but confirmed the release date of the new AI-enabled smartphone.

The iPhone launch will take place during the Glowtime event next week, coinciding with the long-awaited release of Apple's generative AI software suite. And that's what's caught the community's attention.

When Apple confirmed the time and date for the Glowtime event and, by extension, the launch of the iPhone 16 family, nothing was said about the date when the handsets will go on public sale. While pre-orders will likely begin towards the end of the Glowtime event, there is no indication of when the iPhone 16 or iPhone 16 Pro will be available to the public.

Tim Cook's Apple is a company of habits. For as long as the Internet can remember, the second week of September has been the iPhone's launch date. Yet this year Cook has moved the launch up 24 hours from the traditional Tuesday to the more radical Monday. With the presidential debate already scheduled for Tuesday for some time, Apple has likely opted to win the Monday news cycle rather than fight back against the reaction to the nominees.

Apple's previous schedule called for the iPhone to be unveiled on a Tuesday, pre-orders to be available on the Friday of the same week, and the devices to be available for delivery or in-store pickup the following Friday.

It's possible that Apple could move the pre-order and retail day back to a Thursday, but it's more likely that it will continue to be Friday.

This brings us back to the new Apple Store in Stockholm. The opening is scheduled for Friday, September 20th. Since there is no other Apple Store in the Swedish capital, the new Apple Mall of Scandinavia will be the only store where you can pick up the new iPhone. I can't imagine Apple wants to make the Swedish public wait to walk out of a new Apple Store with a new iPhone 24 hours after the rest of the world.

So it is Friday, September 20th.

Now read the latest headlines on iPhone, iPad and Apple Watch launches in Forbes' weekly Apple Loop news roundup…