Apple is notorious for keeping leaks under control. Even in today's world where almost every detail of the upcoming Pixel phone from Google leaks, most of the rumors surrounding the next iPhone are just that: rumors.
If something does leak, it's usually ultra-rare and comes from a reliable source like Mark Gurman or...Mark Gurman. Even rarer is for Apple to leak something about its own products. That pretty much never happens...unless you're trying to open an Apple Store in time for an iPhone launch.
Apple Mall of Scandinavia is opening soon in Sweden. According to the store page, "Our brand new Stockholm store here in the Mall of Scandinavia will open its doors soon. We look forward to welcoming you and helping your ideas grow and thrive."
The opening date gives it away
The most interesting thing about the Mall of Scandinavia opening is its opening day: September 20th. While that might not mean anything in and of itself, it means a lot when you consider when Apple is holding its iPhone 16 event.
Apple is set to host its iPhone 16 event on Monday, September 9th. The company usually opens preorders for the iPhone that Friday, so we should expect preorders to open on Friday, September 13th. It also usually then launches the iPhone a week later, so we should expect the iPhone 16 to officially go on sale on Friday, September 20th.
With Apple making sure that its new store in Sweden is opening on September 20th, it's not hard to guess when the iPhone 16 is launching. It would be weird for the company to miss such an opportunity, so Apple itself is basically confirming to everyone (before Tim Cook officially announces it on stage next week) that the iPhone 16 is launching on the 20th.
In addition to the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Pro, Apple's "It's Glowtime" event is also expected to feature the announcement of the AirPods 4 and Apple Watch X.
