A supposedly leaked Apple invite for the iPhone 16 event looks like a well-executed hoax. The date, the event title and even the fake invite’s color palette seemed to confirm previous leaks about Apple’s upcoming iPhone lineup. However, a video editor who goes by Lore claims he created the invite as a prank.
“Fun fact: i made the ‘leaked’ Apple Event invite in less than 10 minutes using figma and an Ai generated texture and i sent it to the leaker just because i was bored,” Lore wrote Tuesday on X.
In a message to Cult of Mac, Lore confirmed that he created the bogus invite mainly because he was “sick and had nothing to do.” Read Cult of Mac’s interview with the 14-year-old Italian video editor who fooled the internet with his fake iPhone 16 invite.
iPhone 16 launch event could happen on September 10
The fake Apple invite pegged September 10 as the date for Apple’s iPhone 16 event. It also hinted at a long-rumored Capture button for operating the iPhone’s camera and a bronze color for the iPhone 16 Pro and Pro Max.
Cult of Mac covered the supposed invite, which came from Apple leaker Majin Bu, with a degree of skepticism — but clearly not enough. As we wrote at the time, “Even if this tidbit didn’t truly leak from Apple, it’s still a pretty good guess.”
Lore, whose initial post about the invite included a video of his creative process, later backed up his claim by posting a Messages thread that showed how he misled Bu.
“The story i used to convince him was quite stupid,” Lore wrote.
And the story i used to convince him was quite stupid…
— Lore (@lorevfx) August 20, 2024
Bu seemed to substantiate Lore’s version of events with a congratulatory message on X.
“I appreciate your effort though,” Bu wrote Tuesday. “If you need someone for graphics contact this guy.”
I appreciate your effort though, if you need someone for graphics contact this guy https://t.co/pYeFi7XEJB
— Majin Bu (@MajinBuOfficial) August 20, 2024
Cult of Mac messaged both Lore and Bu about the incident.
The original Cult of Mac story continues below.
So, what’s the real date for iPhone 16 event?
Apple traditionally unveils new flagship models in September. It takes something monumental — like a global pandemic — to move the annual iPhone event to another month. Thankfully, nothing like that is going on in 2024, so the real question is, what day in September will bring the iPhone 16 event?
A tipster who goes by Majin Bu thinks they know. “According to what I was told by a source who asked to remain anonymous, the new Apple event where the iPhone 16 will be presented, will be held on September 10 2024,” the leaker posted Monday on X.
According to what I was told by a source who asked to remain anonymous, the new Apple event where the iPhone 16 will be presented, will be held on September 10 2024.
This should be the cover of the invitation pic.twitter.com/7jGoafHaOU— Majin Bu (@MajinBuOfficial) August 19, 2024
More iPhone 16 Pro details: New color option
Bu’s original post include a purported screenshot of Apple’s iPhone 16 event invitation. The image shows a bronze Apple logo, possibly confirming that the iPhone 16 Pro and Pro Max will come in a new bronze titanium color. This long-rumored color option bubbled up again last week when longtime Apple leaker Sonny Dickson posted photos of iPhone 16 Pro dummy units that included a bronze model.
However, in a separate X post on Monday, Majin Bu called the fourth iPhone 16 color option “gold.”
“The new iPhone 16 Pro gold color looks so hot,” Majin Bu wrote.
The new iPhone 16 Pro gold color looks so hot pic.twitter.com/bRHZ89oTNw
— Majin Bu (@MajinBuOfficial) August 19, 2024
This followed a Sunday post on X, in which Bu described the possible new iPhone 16 Pro color.
“There are four colors in total in the iPhone 16 Pro Lineup: white, black, gold and gray,” Bu wrote. “The desert titanium color is kind of dark gold, similar to the old purple color, relatively discreet and deep.”
Plus, a new camera button (possibly called the Capture button)
And, according to this same source, the tagline for the 2024 September iPhone event will be “Ready. Set. Capture.” That seems to reference a new camera shutter button that leaks say will show up in the iPhone 16 Pro models (and maybe in the regular iPhone lineup).
In a self-reply to the initial post about the iPhone 16 Pro event invite, Majin Bu admitted the document might not be legit.
“I have no way of verifying that this information is real, but it all seems very plausible considering the latest news,” the leaker wrote.
iPhone 16 event on September 10, 2024: Not a bad guess
Suppose no one at Apple actually leaked that the iPhone 16 launch event will happen on Tuesday, September 10. A little basic research shows that’s a solid possibility. Apple frequently reveals its new iPhone lineups in the second full week of September. Look at the historical data:
- iPhone 15: Tuesday, Sept. 12, 2023
- iPhone 14: Wednesday, Sept. 7, 2022
- iPhone 13: Tuesday, Sept. 14, 2021
- iPhone 12: Tuesday, Oct. 13, 2020*
- iPhone 11: Tuesday, Sept. 10, 2019
- iPhone XS: Wednesday, Sept. 12, 2018
So maybe the actual event date for the iPhone 16 event will arrive a week before, or the day after, September 10. What’s important is the new flagship iPhones are mere weeks away. Be sure to read Cult of Mac’s guide on what to expect from the iPhone 16 lineup for additional leaks on all four of Apple’s flagship handsets coming soon.
We originally published this post on the fake iPhone 16 invite on August 19, 2024. We updated the information. Lewis Wallace contributed to this report.
