Early iPhone 16 launch in Korea could be good news for all of us

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Apple is expected to unveil the iPhone 16 series on September 10th, according to some reports and common sense. That’s the typical timeframe for iPhone launch events. Preorders start on the Friday after that event, which is September 13th this year. That makes Septmber 20th the likely release date of Apple’s new iPhone 16 models.

While that’s an educated guess, Apple should start confirming things soon. In the coming weeks, it will send out press invites for the launch event. During the keynote, Apple will reveal the preorder and release dates.

You don’t have to wait that long to learn almost everything about this year’s new iPhones. Our iPhone 16 guide covers all the developments since the iPhone 15 launch last year. As is the case every year, we have a pretty good idea of what the new iPhone has to offer.

Things might get even better than that, and we might find out official details about the upcoming iPhone 16 models before the launch event. If a report from Korea is accurate, Apple is considering an earlier iPhone 16 launch in Korea, which could lead to a new set of leaks.

What The Korea Times means by “early launch” is that Apple will release the iPhone 16 series in Korea at the same time as most international markets. If the speculation above is accurate, that would be September 20th.

There’s nothing early about it in the grander scheme of things. However, Korea hasn’t been part of the initial wave of countries since the iPhone 3GS was released back in 2009. The country usually gets the newest iPhones in the weeks and months after the initial global launch.

The report says Apple might have maintained this new iPhone launch approach for years for fear of leaks coming from regulatory approvals:

In Korea, all electronic devices are required to be certified by the National Radio Research Agency, and information on such devices is disclosed through the agency’s website. This means that the new iPhone’s specs and other details can be leaked before Apple’s announcement, prompting the U.S. company to sideline Korea from initial releases. In contrast, regions like Europe and Japan do not require separate radio certification as they have mutual recognition agreements with the United States.

If Apple includes Korea in the initial wave of iPhone 16 launch countries, it’ll have to submit the proper documentation long before the new handsets are released. That documentation could be online well before Apple’s keynote and could confirm many of the iPhone 16 reports out there.

Even so, The Korea Times says Apple is considering the move. A telecom official told the paper that the Korean market could serve as a testbed for global brands. Koreans usually spend money on brand-new products they find valuable. Also, the iPhone is increasingly more popular with young Koreans. Apple could use early iPhone 16 sales as a marketing tool around the world.

Another reason for Apple to launch the iPhone 16 earlier than expected in Korea concerns China. Apple has been losing market share in recent quarters in China. The company might prioritize more iPhone 16 units for Korea in response to that. That’s all speculation, however.

Korean mobile carriers can’t confirm whether Apple will launch the iPhone 16 earlier than expected. However, the report notes that other media outlets in the country have heard unofficially that Apple will go for an early release date in Korea. Apparently, carriers are getting ready to sell the new iPhone whenever it’s released.

The report also says that telecom operators do not expect the iPhone 16 to impact their sales that much. The Korean telecom market is already saturated, with the main players fighting to steal customers from their rivals. The iPhone 16 will certainly be a tool to take advantage of when it comes to poaching customers from competitors.

We’ll soon learn whether Apple’s plans are real or not. If the iPhone 16 leaks following an early certification process with the National Radio Research Agency, Apple will go forward with an early launch. It’ll also mean we’ll get official iPhone 16 details before Apple’s launch event.

Leaks might help iPhone fans who want to upgrade to the iPhone 16 decide which model to get even before Apple announces the new handsets.