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iPhone 16 Preorders Have Begun. Best Deals on Apple’s Newest Smartphones [CNET]

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Preorder all four iPhone 16 models now, with options direct from carriers, retailers and Apple available at a variety of prices.

Adrian is a deals writer on the Commerce team at CNET. With a love of books, entertainment, travel, tabletop games and, yes, even fandom, they can often be found at concerts, RenFest, Dragon Con or at home binge-watching everything from new hits to classics. After graduating from Kennesaw State with a B.A. in English and Professional Writing, Adrian had a short gig in casting, followed by a long stint teaching English lit, theater and film, before transitioning into commerce writing in 2021. Adrian enjoys sharing insights and favorite finds with their readers.

Adam Oram is a Senior Editor at CNET. He studied Media at Newcastle University and has been writing about technology since 2013. He previously worked as a Senior Writer at iMore, Deals Editor at Thrifter, and as an Apple Genius. His spare time is spent watching football (both kinds), playing Pokémon games, and eating vegan food.

See at Apple

Apple iPhone 16 series at the Apple Store

Save up to $1,000 with carrier offers

See at T-mobile

Apple iPhone 16 series at T-Mobile

Up to $1,000 off with trade-in

See at AT&T

Apple iPhone 16 series at AT&T

Up to $1,000 off with eligible trade-in

Two iPhone 16 phones, front and back

All four iPhones are on sale now through preorders, and the countdown to the Sept. 20 shipping date is on.

CNET

Ready for an upgrade? You can now preorder all four iPhone 16 phones. They’re available at multiple retailers starting at $799 (see below for more pricing details). That means you can lock in your iPhone 16, iPhone 16 PlusiPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max and expect it the same day it’s set to become available in stores. You can choose from buying directly from Apple, your carrier or other retailers, but no matter which you decide on, you can take advantage of a variety of trade-in deals and sales. Find all that important info and more below. 

Read more: Get the New iPhone 16 Pro for Free With This T-Mobile Preorder Deal

The iPhones’ biggest selling points? The camera processing and AI features, of course. But also, two new physical buttons — something we haven’t seen in an iPhone for years. There’s a tactile camera button you can press down and slide your finger along, and an “action” button that can pull up one app during the day (let’s say, Maps), and another at night (like the flashlight).

All the new iPhones will come loaded with iOS 18, the latest version of Apple’s mobile operating system (iOS 18 will come to all iPhones that support it on Monday). Across all models, you’ll have nine colors to choose from and four storage capacities, all the way up to 1TB. You can also, of course, scoop up MagSafe accessories. Meanwhile, we’ll keep updating this page as we find more iPhone 16 preorder deals.

Watch this: Hands-On with iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max

Buying the new iPhone 16? Check out the best deals on iPhone accessories like Apple Watch Series 10 and AirPods 4.

iPhone 16 sale date

Apple’s iPhone 16 and 16 Pro lineup will go on sale in stores on Sept. 20. If you preordered your iPhone 16, it should arrive on your doorstep by then. You’ll also be able to pop into any retailer that sells the iPhone — like an Apple Store, BestBuy or your carrier — and buy from their available stock. 

It’s not unheard of for popular configurations of colors, models and storage capacities to sell out of available stock and experience a delay. So we suggest you have a couple backup options in mind if you’re determined to get a new iPhone on Sept. 20 or shortly after. Or be prepared to wait.

Where do I preorder the iPhone 16 before Sept. 20?

iPhone 16 preorders are open now — they kicked off in the early hours of Friday, Sept. 13.

First, decide which model iPhone you want to buy — iPhone 16, iPhone 16 Plus, iPhone 16 Pro or iPhone 16 Pro Max. Then, select your preferred color and storage capacity, and decide if you’re trading in an older iPhone, which could get you up to $650 back from the Apple site. 

Then choose an optional carrier and AppleCare Plus coverage (or not) and click the blue Get ready for pre-order button. You can then choose any accessories you want to add and finally enter your payment information to complete your purchase.

iPhone 16 price: How much do they cost and what are the specs?

Prices differ depending on the amount of storage you buy, but here’s the range:

  • iPhone 16: $799 to $1,099
  • iPhone 16 Plus: $899 to $1,199
  • iPhone 16 Pro: $999 to $1,499
  • iPhone 16 Pro Max: $1,199 to $1,599

Read more: All-New iPhone 16 Button Adds Camera Control to Apple’s Flagship Phone

iPhone 16 lineup specs

iPhone 16 iPhone 16 Plus iPhone 16 Pro iPhone 16 Pro Max
Starting price 128GB $799 $899 $999 NA
Starting price 256GB $899 $999 $1,099 $1,199
Starting price 512GB $1,099 $1,199 $1,299 $1,399
Starting price 1TB NA NA $1,499 $1,599
Display size 6.1-inch 6.7-inch 6.3-inch 6.9-inch
Screen resolution 2,556×1,179 2,796×1,290 2,622×1,206 2,868×1,320
Pixel density 460 ppi 460 ppi 460 ppi 460 ppi
Processor A18 A18 A18 Pro A18 Pro
Mobile software iOS 18 iOS 18 iOS 18 iOS 18
Camera 48MP fusion camera, 12MP ultra-wide camera 48MP fusion camera, 12MP ultra-wide camera 48MP fusion camera, 48MP ultra-wide camera, 5X telephoto 48MP fusion camera, 48MP ultra-wide camera, 5X telephoto
Front-facing camera 12-megapixel 12-megapixel 12-megapixel 12-megapixel
Video capture 4K up to 60fps 4K up to 60fps 4K up to 120fps 4K up to 120fps
Battery/charging speeds Up to 22 hours video playback Up to 27 hours video playback Up to 27 hours video playback Up to 33 hours video playback
Fingerprint sensor None (Face ID) None (Face ID) None (Face ID) None (Face ID)
Connector USB-C USB-C USB-C USB-C

What are my iPhone 16 color choices?

  • iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus: Black, white, pink, “teal” (green) and “ultramarine” (blue)
  • iPhone 16 Pro and Pro Max: Black titanium, white titanium, natural titanium and desert titanium

How do iPhone 16 trade-in offers work?

Some carriers are offering up to $1,000 on eligible trade-ins, which could net you an iPhone 16 Pro for free. One important thing to keep in mind is that most trade-in deals from carriers require you to become a customer, and they often apply to the priciest plan options. 

Select retailers with trade-in programs could offer you gift cards toward future purchases instead, so you don’t have to be locked into a contract to take advantage of the savings from parting with your old device. However, those offers may not provide as much of a deal as traditional trade-in offers. We’ve got specifics on how much you can expect to receive for trading in your phone at select retailers and carriers below. 

The Apple iPhone 16 Pro is displayed against a gradient teal background.

We saw the new iPhone 16 models in the demo room at Apple headquarters in Cupertino, California. 

Lisa Eadicicco/CNET

Best iPhone 16 preorder deals today

We’ll continue updating the below list with all of the best iPhone 16 deals across all of the major US retailers and carriers at this preorder stage.

You can preorder the iPhone 16 series from the Apple Store with the expected arrival date to be Sept. 20.  

Apple is already offering some carrier deals with preorders as well. Existing Verizon customers can save up to $930 with trade-in; AT&T customers can save up to $800 with trade-in and both T-Mobile and Boost customers save up up to $1,000 with no trade-in required.

T-Mobile has the full iPhone 16 lineup for preorder, with in-store availability at T-Mobile on Sept. 20. Both new and existing customers can trade in an eligible device on Go5G Next get an iPhone 16 Pro for free or up to $1,000 off any iPhone 16 model. Those who trade in and are on the Go5G Plus plan can get a free iPhone 16 or up to $830 off any other iPhone 16 model. If you have another Go5G, you can still qualify for the iPhone 16 or up to $830 off if you trade in and add a new line.

AT&T is taking preorders for the iPhone 16 lineup. You can get up to $1,000 off on iPhone 16 Pro and 16 Pro Max and up to $830 off on iPhone 16 and 16 Plus, with an eligible trade-in. That essentially nets you an iPhone 16 or 16 Pro for free. These discounts are dolled out over 36 months in the form of bill credits. 

Eligible devices are smartphones with a minimum trade-in value of $180 for up to $1,000 off the iPhone 16 Pro or 16 Pro Max. For other phones in the series, the trade-in device must have a minimum value between $130 and $179. Additionally, customers must sign up for or be on an unlimited voice and data plan.

As of Friday, Sept. 13, you can preorder the iPhone 16 lineup via Boost’s site, its Amazon storefront or the Apple store. Purchase an iPhone 16 on a $25 per month unlimited plan and you can get one entire year free of Boost Unlimited 5G mobile service or opt to get up to $1,000 off a device — no trade-in required. 

Opt to get Boost mobile service through Apple Stores or Apple’s website and trade in an eligible iPhone through Apple to receive between $180 and $650 additional credits. 

Xfinity Mobile will carry the iPhone 16, iPhone 16 Plus, iPhone 16 Pro and the iPhone 16 Pro Max, all of which are available for preorder as of Friday, Sept. 13, with availability on Sept. 20. It will also carry the AirPods 4 as well as the latest Apple Watches, which can be preordered now and available Sept. 20. 

At this time, there are no deals announced, but we anticipate those to be on par with other carriers and will update this post accordingly once those are announced. 

Verizon has the iPhone 16 series for preorder as of Friday, Sept. 13, with availability on Friday, Sept. 20. They are offering a number of deals already. 

New and existing Verizon customers on the Unlimited Ultimate plan can get an iPhone 16 Pro for free or up to $1,000 off another phone in the iPhone 16 lineup, when you trade in any phone in any condition. If you opt for the Unlimited Plus, you can get up to $830 off or choose the Unlimited Welcome plan and you can still get up $415 off phones in the iPhone 16 series. 

If you switch to Verizon or add a new line, you can get an iPhone 16 Pro for just $10 per month on the Ultimate Unlimted plan (36 months) or $15 per month on the Unlimited Plus plan. 

And finally, there’s the option to bring your own device and add a new line to receive a promotional credit: $360 if you opt for the Unlimited Plus plan or $540 on if you opt for the Unlimited Ultimate. This promo credit is applied over 36 months. 

Best Buy launched iPhone 16 series preorders on Sept. 13, and if you purchase your new iPhone through Best Buy with a qualified activation and trade-in through AT&T, you can save up to $1,000 on the iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max.

Walmart has the iPhone 16 lineup for preorder, with availability on Sept. 20. While Walmart is not offering any unlocked model deals, you can save on carrier options through AT&T. New and existing AT&T customers can trade in an eligible device worth $130, you can get up to $830 off; if you have a device to trade in worth $180, you can save up to $1,000 off the iPhone 16 Pro and 16 Pro Max. You’ll have to activate a new line or upgrade your line to an eligible plan if you’re not already on one. 

Preorder a phone from the iPhone 16 lineup at Visible and score $360 towards your Visible Plus service. Simply join Visible on a new line of service, purchase an eligible device either on device payment or at full retail price, select the Visible Plus plan and activate your service within 30 days. You’ll receive a $10 discount off your monthly service for a period of 36 months for a total savings of $360.

Want to get a deal on previous iPhone models? Our roundup of the best iPhone deals includes sales on the iPhone 15, iPhone SE and more.