Though the timing hasn't yet been announced, the company is making preparations for that date, which falls on a Tuesday, said the people, who asked not to be identified because the plans are private. The unveiling will be followed by the phones going on sale on 20 September, in line with Apple's typical approach in recent years.
A representative for Cupertino, California-based Apple declined to comment.
The launch is a critical one for Apple, which has suffered sluggish sales of its smartphones and wearable devices in recent quarters. A 20 September release of the new iPhone 16 would mean some of the device's revenue is recorded in the current period - Apple's fiscal fourth quarter - when the company expects sales to grow about 5% from a year earlier.
A bigger chunk of sales will come the following quarter, which coincides with the holiday season. Analysts have predicted that revenue will climb 7% to US$128.4-billion in that period.
The company is also planning to begin transitioning its Macs over to M4 processors later this year, but Mac updates typically don't arrive until about a month after the annual iPhone launch.
