iPhone 7, iPhone 7 Plus release date in Australia: Pre-order starts Friday, retail sale follows on Sep. 16

Pre-order of the iPhone 7 on all Apple Stores in Australia will start late afternoon on Friday, a day after Apple unveiled the first water-resistant iOS smartphone and its pricing across the globe.

The cheapest iPhone 7 model costs $1,079 in Australia while the most expensive and higher capacity iPhone 7 Plus model is priced at $1,569, according to Apple.

Apple customers will need to shell out $1,079 for the 4.7-inch iPhone 7 model with 32GB storage, $1,229 for the 128GB model or $1,379 for the 256GB model. Meanwhile, those who opt for the 5.5-inch iPhone 7 Plus will pay $1,269 for a 32GB model, $1,419 for the 128GB model or $1,569 for the 256GB model.

Both iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus are available in Jet Black, Black, Silver, Gold and Rose Gold colour variants. Delivery dates and options vary across different towns or states across the country.

The iPhone 7 will be available for sale in Australia and 29 other starting next week, Sep. 16, and will be sold eventually through major telco companies. Telstra, Optus, Vodafone and Virgin Mobile are expected to release the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 post-paid plans next week.

iPhone 7 specs

According to Apple, the the reengineered enclosure of the new iPhone models result in a “water resistant iPhone offering protection like never before against spills, splashes and dust.”

Running on iOS 10, iPhone 7 features a 12-megapixel rear camera with 7-megapixel front camera while the iPhone 7 Plus uses two 12MP cameras, wide-angle and telephoto, for better photo-taking capabilities.

The new generation of iPhones uses A10 Fusion chip works twice faster than iPhone 6. Apple also claims that iPhone 7 models have the longest battery life than its predecessors.

Audio is twice louder with iPhone 7 due to the new stereo speaker system. Earpods with Lightning connector or Apple’s new wireless earphones, touted as “AirPods,” can be used in the iPhone 7 models. The iPhone 7 models come with a 3.5 millimetre headphone jack adapter that allows customers to use their old headphones.

“The completely redesigned cameras shoot incredible photos and videos day or night, the A10 Fusion chip is the most powerful chip on any smartphone while delivering the best battery life ever in an iPhone, and an entirely new stereo speaker system provides twice the sound, all within the first water and dust resistant iPhone,” said Philip Schiller, Apple’s senior vice president of worldwide marketing.

Apple CEO Tim Cook spearheaded the launch of iPhone 7 models in an event in San Francisco, California Wednesday. Also launched were Apple’s AirPods and Apple Watch Series 2.

WATCH: Apple introduces iPhone 7 [video]