Apple’s iPhone 16 has officially arrived in stores

Another iPhone enthusiast who spoke to BI said he has been attending launch days since 2011, even before the Orchard flagship store opened in 2017. He said he updates his iPhone every year.

He said the crowd on Friday was slightly more muted than it has been in the past. He said he hopes Apple designs a flip phone similar to those being produced by Samsung and Huawei, so he can have an “iPad in his pocket.”

A lot is riding on this launch for Apple. iPhone sales slipped year-on-year in Q3, and analysts have said an AI-powered smartphone could be the game changer Apple needs to see revenue bounce back. However, pre-orders over the past weekend were estimated to be about 13% lower than with the iPhone 15 — primarily due to the slower rollout of AI features as well as competition in China.

Apple has successfully generated hype around its upcoming software, but today could indicate whether it can back it up with initial hardware sales.