iPhone 16 pre-orders — top Australian telco and retail offers

Apple iPhone 16 hands-on.
(Image credit: Future)

Good news, Apple fans — iPhone 16 pre-orders kicked off on September 13 at 10pm (AEST). The new devices were revealed at the Apple Glowtime event, showcasing powerful new A18 processors which are designed to work with Apple Intelligence. Apple also announced the iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max, which offer increased processing power and superior cameras.

In Australia, the 6.1-inch iPhone 16 starts at AU$1,399 (AU$100 less than last year's iPhone 15), while the larger 6.7-inch iPhone 16 Plus starts at AU$1,599. Both devices are powered by Apple's new A18 processor. It will be available in black, white, pink, teal, and ultramarine colour options.

Alternatively, Apple's 6.3-inch iPhone 16 Pro and 6.9-inch iPhone 16 Pro Max start at AU$1,799 and AU$2,149, respectively. The Pro models will be available in black titanium, natural titanium, white titanium, and desert titanium colourways.

Along with their larger displays, Apple's Pro models boast the new A18 Pro processor, which sports a 16-core neural engine, along with a 17% increase in memory bandwidth. 

The Pro models also come with significant camera upgrades over the regular iPhone 16 and 16 Plus, including a 48MP ultrawide camera, jumping up from 12MP on last year's Pro handsets.

All four iPhone 16 handsets will be available to pre-order from September 13 with in-store availability starting on September 20. Australia's three major telcos — Telstra, Optus and Vodafone — will be offering customers the option of buying an iPhone 16 handset outright or paying it off on a plan over 12, 24 or 36 months.

Pre-orders are open now, although we don't have bonus offer details yet from every provider. That said, we've listed the best deals we know about so far. As always, we'll keep you updated on pre-order bonuses from Aussie retailers and carriers as they're announced.

iPhone 16 pricing

Swipe to scroll horizontally
iPhone 16128GBAU$1,399
Row 1 - Cell 0 256GBAU$1,599
Row 2 - Cell 0 512GBAU$1,949
iPhone 16 Plus128GBAU$1,599
Row 4 - Cell 0 256GBAU$1,799
Row 5 - Cell 0 512GBAU$2,149
iPhone 16 Pro128GBAU$1,799
Row 7 - Cell 0 256GBAU$1,999
Row 8 - Cell 0 512GBAU$2,349
Row 9 - Cell 0 1TBAU$2,699
iPhone 16 Pro Max256GBAU$2,149
Row 11 - Cell 0 512GBAU$2,499
Row 12 - Cell 0 1TBAU$2,849

Best iPhone 16 pre-order offers

Pre-orders for Apple's iPhone 16 devices open at 10PM (AEST) on September 13, however, we're still waiting on information on bonus offers from several retailers and carriers. 

That said, we do have some details below, and will continue to update this page as more pre-order information becomes available. In the meantime, here are the best bonus offers we know about so far.

Gift card valued up to AU$1,400 with eligible phone trade in towards iPhone 16 @ Optus

Gift card valued up to AU$1,400 with eligible phone trade in towards iPhone 16 @ Optus

Like last year, Optus is maximising trade-in value for users looking to upgrade to the latest iPhone. Trade in an eligible phone towards the iPhone 16 and receive a digital gift card valued up to AU$1,400 which can be spent anywhere. Obviously, the maximum trade-in amount will go towards the iPhone 15 Pro Max (1TB), but you can get a quote on other devices on the Optus trade-in page. Additionally, signing up to an Optus Plus Promo Plan will score you AU$120 credit to use on Optus SubHub subscriptions. T&Cs apply.

Appletrade-in and get up to AU$1,165 in credit towards your iPhone 16

Apple | trade-in and get up to AU$1,165 in credit towards your iPhone 16

Those who go straight to the source for their new iPhone 16 handset will get between AU$255 and AU$1,125 in Apple Store credit when they trade an iPhone 11 handset or higher. Your chosen payment method will be credited after your trade-in has been received and inspected. Additionally, you must trade in your old device within 14 days of receiving your new iPhone 16 handset. This offer is available from 10pm (AEST) on September 13, 2024.

Get up to AU$1,299 credit towards iPhone when you stay on $79 Promo Plan for 36 months + AU$150 credit trade-in bonus @ Vodafone

Get up to AU$1,299 credit towards iPhone when you stay on $79 Promo Plan for 36 months + AU$150 credit trade-in bonus @ Vodafone

How's this for value? Vodafone is offering up to a staggering AU$1,299 credit towards any iPhone 16 device with signups of its new $79p/m plan (includes 200GB of data p/m) and stay connected for 36 months. Essentially, that means you can get the entry-level iPhone 16 handset for only AU$100 (RRP AU$1,399). Alternatively, you can get the iPhone 16 Pro from AU$400 and the iPhone 16 Pro Max from AU$750. On top of this, customers will also receive AU$150 of bonus trade-in credit towards their iPhone 16 handset (on top of what their old device is worth). So if you're willing to stick with the iPhone 16 for three years, this is an exceptional deal T&Cs apply.

Get up to AU$1,220 in JB Credit when you trade-in your old device towards iPhone 16 @JB Hi-Fi

Get up to AU$1,220 in JB Credit when you trade-in your old device towards iPhone 16 @JB Hi-Fi

If you have a recent smartphone you're looking to offload, you can trade it towards an iPhone 16 device and receive up to AU$1,220 in JB Credit. Of course, you can do this without buying an iPhone 16, so this really isn't much of a pre-order bonus — just pointing out that you can use JB's trade-in site ahead of the new iPhone's release and use the accumulated credit to save big on the device's ticket price. Just know, your trade-in device needs to be working and in good condition.

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Get up to AU$1,500 in trade-in credit to @ Telstra

Telstra offering up to AU$1,500 in trade-in credit towards a new iPhone 16 Pro or Pro Max model. Of course, to get that full amount, you'll need to trade in an iPhone 15 Pro Max 1TB, as the bonus credit is actually valued at AU$275 + whatever your trade-in device is worth. On the plus side, Telstra says it will match the best offer on your old device. Additionally, new customers who take up an new Upfront Mobile Plan by October 7 will also get a bonus 40,000 Telstra Plus points to spend on Telstra Plus rewards.

iPhone 16 pre-order tips

Consider switching telcos: We know this one might be tougher to pull off depending on whether you're locked into a contract , but if you're not, you can use the occasion to get better iPhone 16 pricing because telcos often reserve them for new customers.

Clean your phone: If you do intend on selling your old phone, it’s wise to give it a proper cleaning before handing it off to its next owner. Not only should you reset the phone, but it's also helpful to clean it off so that it looks pristine. Buyers are more apt to pay more if it's in excellent condition.

Apple's iPhones regularly top our best phones and best camera phones guides. They're even known to hit our best phone battery life lists. Make sure to follow Tom's Guide for our full review on Apple's new phones in the coming days.

Stephen Lambrechts

Stephen Lambrechts is the Managing Editor of Tom's Guide AU and has written professionally across the categories of tech, film, television and gaming for the last 15 years. Before Tom's Guide, he spent several years as a Senior Journalist at TechRadar, had a brief stint as Editor in Chief at Official Xbox Magazine Australia, and has written for such publications as APC, TechLife Australia, T3, FilmInk, AskMen, Daily Telegraph and IGN. He's an expert when it comes to smartphones, TVs, gaming and streaming. In his spare time, he enjoys watching obscure horror movies on physical media, keeping an eye on the latest retro sneaker releases and listening to vinyl. Occasionally, he also indulges in other non-hipster stuff, like hiking.