September is like Christmas for Apple fans: starting with 2012’s iPhone 5, every new iPhone has been announced that month. But this year, thanks to coronavirus, things look to be different.
The company already confirmed the new iPhones would go on sale “a few weeks later” than usual this year, but if a leak by YouTuber and leakster John Prosser holds up, we might have a better idea of the timing.
New, adjusted Apple dates!
Apple Watch & iPad
– Via press release
– Week 37 w/c Sep 7iPhone 12 event
– Week 42 w/c Oct 12iPhone 12 devices
– Preorders week 42 w/c Oct 12
– Shipping week 43 w/c Oct 19iPhone 12 Pro devices
– Preorder and shipping in Nov (no exact date yet)— Jon Prosser (@jon_prosser) August 12, 2020
According to Prosser, Apple plans to announce the updated Apple Watch & iPad first, on the week starting September 7. This ‘launch’ will apparently happen via a press release, so don’t expect much fanfare.
The 💜 of EU tech
The latest rumblings from the EU tech scene, a story from our wise ol' founder Boris, and some questionable AI art. It's free, every week, in your inbox. Sign up now!
On the other hand, Apple still seems to be planning on hosting some kind of an iPhone 12 event on the week commencing October 12, perhaps a pre-recorded video like the WWDC keynote. Note that Apple typically announces iPhones on Tuesdays, so “week of October 12” might actually mean Tuesday, October 13.
Pre-orders for the lower-end units would begin that week (probably Friday, October 16) and begin shipping the week after. The Pro units will follow with pre-order and shipping in November, although there don’t appear to be any firm dates yet.
Prosser pegs his own leak accuracy track record at 80 percent — he once cryptically implied Apple would rename iOS to iPhoneOS — but notes he’s “never actually gotten a product announcement date wrong.”
Whether or not the leak was accurate, given Apple is almost certainly not planning on hosting any kind of physical event, the company probably has more flexibility to move around dates as it pleases this year — if only to annoy the leaksters.
Via MacRumors
Did you know we have an online event about product design coming up? Join the Sprint track at TNW2020 to explore the latest trends and emerging best practices in product development.
Get the TNW newsletter
Get the most important tech news in your inbox each week.