Apple’s iPhones at a store in Hanoi. Photo by VnExpress/Tuan Hung
The iPhone 16 is anticipated to be available in Vietnam by late September, as the country continues to be classified as a second-priority market for Apple.
A retail representative mentioned that despite Apple’s growing interest in the Vietnamese market, the country has not yet been upgraded to the highest priority level this year.
Consequently, the four iPhone 16 models will be released in the second wave, unlike Singapore and Thailand, which are included in the first wave.
Last year, Vietnam was part of the second wave for the first time, with the iPhone 15 being available just one week after its U.S. release.
One reason Vietnam has not been elevated to a higher priority level by Apple is the lack of an official Apple store in the country. Currently, Southeast Asia has three countries with Apple Stores: Singapore, Thailand, and the most recent addition, Malaysia, which opened its first store in June.
Sources suggest that the iPhone 16 may be unveiled on Sept. 10, in line with Apple’s annual tradition of holding the launch event on the second Tuesday of that month.
Expert Mark Gurman from Bloomberg predicted that the new iPhone series could reach users on Sept. 20. Markets in the second-priority level might see the launch a week later. Last year, the iPhone 15 launched globally on Sept. 22 and in Vietnam on Sept. 29.
According to phone retailers, the iPhone 16 launch is considered one of the most important events of the year-end season. Despite all models being expected to cost over VND20 million (US$800), they usually outsell mid-range and budget models from other brands.
