This will be the first time Apple will be launching its latest iPhone on a Monday, a rarity in the company’s near 19-year history. The much-awaited iPhone 16 launch event named ‘It’s Glowtime’ is set for September 9, 2024, but it is not a Friday as has been the tradition of Apple in the previous years.
It is not a simple matter of rescheduling but a strategic shift that has been brought about by a number of factors. The change of launch from Tuesday to Monday is mainly due to two big events that are expected to take place the following day, that is Tuesday 10th September. First, the company might be fined a record $14 billion by the European Commission due to a tax issue which had been ongoing for years. Second, the first US presidential debate between Kamala Harris and Donald Trump is scheduled for the same day.
The EU fine that is expected to be imposed is as a result of a probe that accused Apple of entering into an agreement with Ireland to avoid paying taxes on over $100 billion of its profits earned in Europe within the period between 2004 and 2014. This case has been filed in 2016 and has gone through several rounds of legal proceedings and appeals and the fine that has been imposed is currently being held in the escrow account. The size of this possible fine – which could be the largest corporate fine ever issued in Europe – has made Apple to think twice about the timing of its new product launch in order not be overshadowed.
Likewise, scheduling problem with the first US presidential debate was another issue that Apple had to face. It would have been rather dangerous for the tech giant to try to vie with such a big political event as the Presidential inauguration for media coverage as it could have watered down the company’s product release. In shifting the event to Monday, Apple guarantees that the iPhone 16 reveal will make the rounds in tech headlines and not be drowned out by political coverage.
The iPhone 16 series is anticipated to be the star of the show in the “It’s Glowtime” event, it will introduce substantial changes all around. There is a lot of expectation when it comes to including Apple Intelligence, which is Apple’s venture into AI-based smartphones. Apple is set to take a direct shot at Google and Samsung in the growing AI smartphone market with this move.
It is also anticipated that hardware change will be significant. It is expected that all iPhone 16 series will be equipped with a new A18 chip, but there will be some variations between the Pro and base versions. To make the Pro and base lines even more distinct, Apple will probably remove the Mute switch on the standard and Plus models in favor of a capacitive Action Button. Further, the new dedicated camera button known as the Capture Button is likely to be incorporated in all models to make camera actions responsive to touch gestures.
Another area of focus in this year’s release is the camera. It is expected that both the iPhone 16 Pro and Pro Max models will come equipped with a 5x zoom periscopic telephoto camera, a feature which has not been available in the iPhone 16 Pro Max model before. This upgrade shows Apple’s intention to improve the photographic performance of its devices in its higher-end product portfolio.
Apple is also much focused on the design of the new iPhones. It is believed that the Pro models won’t undergo a dramatic overhaul, although there may be some tweaks to the design A new colour option is also expected – Bronze Titanium. On the other hand, the base iPhone 16 models may experience a significant change in the rear camera alignment shift from diagonal to vertical.
As Apple prepares to enter one of the most critical weeks in its entire existence, the choice to release on a Monday not only deviates from the norm but also shows that outside forces – from lawsuits to geopolitics – can affect the world’s biggest tech firm. The change in the launch day from Wednesday to Monday may not seem significant but for a company as strategic as Apple it is a sign of a new age and the new environment that it is in.
The launch event of the Apple devices dubbed as the “It’s Glowtime” which is scheduled for September 9, 2024, will without any doubt be one of the defining moments in the company’s history, not only due to the devices being launched but also because of the circumstances that this year’s launch has presented. While the technology community continues to look forward to new iPhone 16 series and some other possible announcements, it has become evident that this event is not just a product unveiling- it is a demonstration of how Apple has been able to reinvent itself and sustain its supremacy in a constantly evolving global society.
