TOKYO: Reservations for Apple Inc.’s new iPhone 16 smartphone series started in Japan on Friday night.

Four major wireless carriers in the country are encouraging people to switch to the new iPhone models, through benefits and discounts.

The four new iPhone models–iPhone 16, iPhone 16 Plus, iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max–feature a generative artificial intelligence system. They will be released on Sept. 20.

Apple’s price tag for the iPhone 16 basic model is 124,800 yen, the same as the initial price of the previous iPhone 15 when the model was released last year.

KDDI Corp.’s “au” online shop is offering a limited-time discount on the iPhone 16 series until late November. Under the program, buyers will only have to pay around 52,000 yen for the basic model if they return the device in about two years.

Stores directly operated by SoftBank Corp. are offering a program in which customers will only have to pay around 38,000 yen for the iPhone 16, including warranty, if they return the device in around 12 months.

JIJI Press