Pre-orders for the iPhone 16 series have already begun, and according to recent reports, the iPhone 16 Pro and 16 Pro Max have registered lower pre-order numbers compared to their predecessors, whereas the standard iPhone 16 and 16 Plus are seeing higher demand.
The phones are expected to hit the store shelves on September 20. Now, according to the MacMagazine, a regulatory filing in Brazil reveals that the iPhone 16 is currently being assembled in Brazil, along with China and India. In Brazil, the iPhone 16 is being assembled at the Foxconn facility in Jundiaí, São Paulo.
Reportedly, this is not the first time that Apple will be using this Brazil facility to assemble iPhones, but it will be the first time that a recently launched iPhone is being assembled in Brazil from day one. However, it should be noted that Apple will only be assembling the standard iPhone 16 model in Brazil, whereas the more expensive units will be imported from China.
Last year, Apple started assembling the iPhone 15 and 15 Plus models in India, simultaneously with China, which was also first for India. This year, once again for the first time, the Foxconn facility in Tamil Nadu, India, will be assembling the iPhone 16 Pro and Pro Max models.
It could be Apple"s strategy to be less reliant on China for iPhone production and distribution. The company also has assembly facilities in Vietnam.
This year"s iPhone 16 series brings minimal upgrades over its predecessors (which could also be a reason for lower sales of the Pro models). Apple has included a dedicated camera shutter button across all iPhone 16 models, then the iPhone 16 and 16 Plus can record spatial video thanks to their horizontal camera module, and the Pro models have the same set of cameras and 5x optical zoom capabilities.
The iPhone 16 series also supports 45W fast charging, although this wasn"t mentioned during the keynote. The downside of this year"s iPhones is that it will cost you more to replace the battery of your out-of-warranty iPhone 16 Pro and Pro Max in the US.