Apple debuts iPhone 16 with ad shot in photogenic Czech locations

Apple has unveiled its new iPhone 16 series, featuring models designed to integrate with its proprietary artificial intelligence (AI) system, Apple Intelligence. The company also released a new generation of Apple Watch and AirPods.

To mark the debut, Apple filmed a promotional spot in the Czech Republic, showcasing some of the country’s iconic locations.

“We’re thrilled to introduce the first iPhones built from the ground up for Apple Intelligence and its groundbreaking capabilities,” said Apple CEO Tim Cook at the Cupertino launch. “It’s the start of an exciting new era,” he added.

The iPhone 16 will be available for pre-order in Czechia starting Friday, with sales beginning Sept. 20. The base model, featuring a 6.1-inch display, will start at CZK 23,990 in the Czech Republic. The lineup includes the iPhone 16 Plus, iPhone 16 Pro, and iPhone 16 Pro Max models. All phones in the series will be equipped with the new A18 chip, and the Pro models will include a new button that can function as a camera trigger.

Apple’s latest commercial, promoting the iPhone 16 Pro, was filmed at various locations in the Czech Republic.

The ad starts with a sequence in the Jiřího z Poděbrady metro station in Prague, which recently underwent a significant renovation. Viewers familiar with the station will recognize the long tube of escalators, currently free of advertising spaces. This scene includes the station’s old escalators, replaced in early 2023 as part of the revitalization effort.

Another scene is shot inside a historic metro car, the Soviet type 81-71, once a staple of Prague’s public transit system. The car was retired from regular service in 2009 and replaced by modernized trains, but it makes a nostalgic appearance in Apple's ad.

The commercial also features the Prachovské Rocks, particularly the photogenic Imperial Corridor, a narrow limestone gorge lined with towering rock walls, named after a visit from Emperor Francis I. The final Prague locations include a transition from the roof of the Congress Center to the Smetana Hall of the Municipal House in one continuous cut.

Apple’s iPhone remains a crucial product for the company, accounting for about 46 percent of its total sales in the third financial quarter, which ended July 1. However, revenue from iPhone sales fell by about 1 percent year-over-year to USD 39.3 billion, while the company’s overall revenue grew by 5 percent to USD 85.8 billion.

“The coming months and years will be crucial for Apple,” XTB analyst Tomáš Vranka told the Czech News Agency. “The company's entire success still stands and falls with the iPhone.”

Apple’s main competitor, Google, has also recently updated its lineup, introducing the Pixel 9 series, Pixel Watch 3, and Pixel Buds Pro 2 headphones. The Pixel 9 phones, which run on Google’s Gemini AI platform, are available in the Czech Republic starting at nearly CZK 23,000.