The launch of the iPhone 16 series in the Philippines has been accompanied by a wide array of promotional offers, freebies, and exclusive deals from various retailers and service providers. These incentives are designed to attract consumers during the pre-order and launch periods, providing added value beyond the device itself. Information regarding these offers is drawn from multiple retailer announcements and news reports covering the October 2024 launch window.
Retailer-Specific Pre-Order Incentives
Several major electronics retailers in the Philippines structured their pre-order campaigns with distinct freebies and payment terms.
Digimap
Digimap launched the iPhone 16 series on October 18, 2024, with pre-orders available from October 10 through October 17, 2024. Customers who pre-ordered during this window received exclusive freebies valued at PHP 15,000. Specific items included in this package were a Jisulife Handheld Fan Pro1S, PHP 2,000 vouchers redeemable at New Balance and Skechers, and up to 6 months of gadget protection provided by Qoala.
In addition to these freebies, Digimap offered several financing promotions. Home Credit provided 18- and 24-month installment plans during a promo period from October 10 to 20, 2024. BPI cardholders could access 0% installment plans for 12 and 24 months from October 10 to 21, 2024, while Metrobank offered a 24-month 0% installment plan from October 18 to 21, 2024. Security Bank offered a PHP 4,000 cash back for customers utilizing 12- or 24-month installment plans on October 18, 2024. PNB provided up to PHP 8,000 cash back for purchases exceeding PHP 70,000 between October 10 and 22, 2024. Shopee customers purchasing through Digimap’s channel received a PHP 500 voucher for orders over PHP 50,000, along with the standard pre-order freebies.
Power Mac Center
Power Mac Center ran its online pre-order from October 10 at 12:01 a.m. until October 16 at 11:59 a.m., with in-store pre-orders starting when malls opened. A mandatory requirement for online purchases was full payment on the day of the pre-order. Customers could choose between delivery or in-store pickup at participating branches.
The retailer offered a "Before Anything Else Dual Port 30W Wall Charger" with every iPhone 16 purchase during the pre-order dates. Additionally, Power Mac Center provided trade-in options for current devices to lower the upgrade cost. For customers trading in at Power Mac Center or The Loop stores, savings could reach up to P54,700 on a new iPhone 16, plus an additional P1,000 off on XChange+.
Beyond the Box
Beyond the Box began its pre-order at 12:01 a.m. on October 10. Customers who pre-ordered in-store received freebies valued up to P11,760. These gifts included products from Momax and Native Union, as well as a Marshall speaker. The retailer also facilitated installment payments using credit cards from Bank of Commerce, BPI, EastWest, Union Bank, and RCBC, though this option was strictly limited to in-store transactions.
Digital Walker and Abenson
Digital Walker and Abenson required customers to fill out specific online pre-order forms to secure a device. Digital Walker indicated that a customer service representative would contact the customer after the form was completed. Abenson’s form requested details regarding the specific iPhone 16 model and the preferred pickup branch.
Abenson ran a specific promotion for Pro model pre-orders placed between October 10 and October 17. These customers were eligible to receive a free personal refrigerator valued at P5,995 and a free HP voucher, available to the first 200 customers.
Telecommunications Provider Offers
Telecommunications companies Globe and Smart also offered distinct incentives for subscribers acquiring the iPhone 16 series.
Globe
Globe offered the iPhone 16 series to prepaid, postpaid, and Platinum subscribers. Device cash-out pricing for the base model started at P14,14 per month for a 36-month installment period, excluding the monthly plan cash-out for the GPlan PLUS 999. For the iPhone 16 Pro (256GB), pricing started at P1,592 per month for a 24-month period via select credit cards with the GPlan 3799. Globe also accepted trade-ins for pre-loved iPhones, offering cashback applied to the subscriber's postpaid bill.
Smart
Smart users could pre-order the new iPhones via both prepaid and postpaid plans. Pre-order incentives included free data allocations: prepaid users received 1.6GB of free open access data every week for 16 weeks, while postpaid subscribers received free 16GB of 5G data per month for 16 weeks.
Banking and Financial Partner Promotions
Several banks partnered with retailers to offer specific financing deals during the launch period.
- BPI: Offered 0% installment plans for 12 and 24 months (October 10–21, 2024).
- Metrobank: Offered a 0% installment plan for 24 months (October 18–21, 2024).
- Security Bank: Provided PHP 4,000 cash back for 12- and 24-month installment plans (October 18, 2024).
- PNB: Offered up to PHP 8,000 cash back for purchases over PHP 70,000 (October 10–22, 2024).
- Home Credit: Offered 18- and 24-month installment plans (October 10–20, 2024).
Special Launch Events
Digimap hosted a "Midnight Launch" event on October 17, 2024, at One Ayala Concourse starting at 9 PM. The event featured celebrity guests Rayver Cruz, Julie Anne San Jose, and Kylie Padilla.
Device Specifications and Features
The iPhone 16 series introduced several hardware and software upgrades. The lineup includes the iPhone 16 (6.1 inch), iPhone 16 Plus (6.7 inch), iPhone 16 Pro (6.3 inch), and iPhone 16 Pro Max (6.9 inch).
Performance is driven by the new A18 Bionic chip, which provides faster processing speeds and improved power efficiency suitable for multitasking, gaming, and content creation. The display is an upgraded Super Retina XDR with enhanced brightness and color accuracy. The camera system features improved Night Mode and computational photography capabilities. A new capacitive camera button functions as a shutter and allows toggling and adjusting camera settings.
The device utilizes USB-C charging for faster data transfers and charging speeds and features improved battery life. The series is available in various colors and finishes.
Conclusion
The October 2024 launch of the iPhone 16 series in the Philippines was characterized by aggressive competition among retailers and service providers. Consumers were presented with various freebies, including handheld fans, vouchers, gadget protection, wall chargers, speakers, and home appliances. Financing options were widely available through major banks and non-banking institutions, often featuring 0% installment plans and cash-back incentives. Telecommunications providers supplemented these offers with substantial data allocations for subscribers.