Apple Reduces iPhone 16 Prices in Australia

Apple has revealed some savings for its new Australia iPhone 16 models, amounting to around $45 off compared to US prices at the top end. Apple shows off its iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Pro at Apple Park in Cupertino, California, on Monday, Sept. 9, 2024. Certainly, Apple is pricing new iPhone models more aggressively than it has in years as a response to the current market atmosphere.

Significant Price Reductions in Australia

Apple has announced that the new iPhone 16 models will be available from Friday, September 20 to Equal (TBD). In Australia, the prices will fall by as much as AUD 100 over the outgoing iPhone 15 series. My gut feeling says that the entry-level price for a standard iPhone 16 will be AUD 1,399 with 128GB a noticeable drop from this year’s iPhone 15, which came in at AUD 1,499.

The iPhone 16 Plus will be yours for AUD 1,599, which has seen a small decrease from the previous year’s pricing of AUD 1,649. The iPhone 16 Pro starts at AUD 1,799, down from the previous eBay price of $50. Before the price drop, models of the iPhone 16 Pro Max with a base of 256GB storage will set you back AUD 2,199, but now it officially starts at AUD 2,149.

Pricing in the United States Remains Unchanged

The U.S. announcement comes amid a surge of high prices in Australia compared to last year’s models (which have seen some development too, ▲), but American iPhone 16 fees are the same as the prior ones. The iPhone 16 will cost $799 (about AUDE), and the iPhone 16 Pro will start at $999 in the United States (approx).

You see, the reason for that huge price difference is the exchange rate and other economic conditions in the respective area. In a statement, senior Telsyte analyst Alvin Lee said that Apple has been forced to reduce its prices in Australia due to the latest exchange rates and general economic conditions.

Pre-Orders and Availability

The iPhone 16 lineup will be available for pre-order beginning 10:00 p.m. AEST on Friday, September 13, 2024. The phones will be available for purchase on September 20, giving consumers a first-hand look at the latest features such as new camera controls and improvements in performance before they are rolled out globally.

That WWDC will be followed by the reveal of all things iPhone 16, and once that day arrives, consumers can look forward to this new pair of devices featuring Apple’s latest hardware advances, including the A18 chip, a 48-megapixel main camera, and improved battery life. The devices also come with a Qualcomm Snapdragon X75 modem, promising faster 5G connections and gaming performance.

Apple Intelligence Missing at Launch

Apple Intelligence is one of the useful components that will be missed in the first edition to release, i.e., the iPhone 16. The AI-powered features were initially announced at Apple’s Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) in June and are likely meant to be included with the iPhone 16 lineup. Apple has confirmed that its first set of Apple Intelligence tools will become available as a free software update in October.

Tim Cook: The iPhone 12 series was “designed for Apple Intelligence from the ground up,”  but only iOS 18.1 enabled AI features. Among these will be Lightroom, which is bringing AI-powered photo editing and audio transcription functionality to its app, as well as new Siri skills. What: Apple Intelligence (for the 16 and 13 series iPhones only; iPhone 15 Pro models, M1 chipset devices, and newer)

Australian Market Outlook

Apple has continued to lead the Australian smartphone market, with a retention rate of around 80 percent for more than half a decade. According to Telsyte, Apple managed a repeat purchase rate of more than 85% as of last year (PDF), suggesting that the tech giant has established a solid presence in Australia. With local prices for the new models set to drop, Apple’s stranglehold on Australia will only become tighter next year as even newer, faster phones land from rival manufacturers.

Conclusion

While, of course, Apple is still Apple and will continue to be on the cutting edge of smartphone technology for the foreseeable future, this price reduction in Australia hints at what might help keep it ahead in one of its most successful regions. The iPhone 16 lineup brings next-generation features at a more affordable price point to the Australian market, with pre-orders opening shortly and official sales starting September 20.