Apple’s newest iPhone series is on the way, and it looks like it will arrive sooner than the iPhone 12 smartphones did last year.
Since the iPhone 4s, every iPhone has been announced in September… until last year.
2020 wasn’t going to be a typical year for any of us, was it? In October, Apple made the first-ever iPhone unveiling.
Record-breaking cancellation
As a result, the iPhone 12 generation will be partially cancelled after a shorter amount of time than any previous iPhone.
Every iPhone has been on the market for at least 12 months. Some, such as the iPhone XR, which was announced in September 2018 and released in October of that year, remain in stores for much longer. The iPhone XR has been on the market for two years and ten months.
However, I believe that several members of the iPhone 12 family will be phased out in less than 11 months. When the new iPhones were released last year, the iPhone 11 Pro and 11 Pro Max were retired.
When the latest iPhones are announced, I expect the iPhone 12 small, iPhone 12 Pro, and iPhone 12 Pro Max to be discontinued.
Since its release on October 23, the mini and Max have set a new record for the lowest lifespan of any iPhone—see the precise number of days below. For the record, I believe the iPhone 12 will continue to be available.
So, when will the iPhone 13 be unveiled and available for purchase?
What’s in a name?
First and foremost, keep in mind that the name has yet to be determined. If Apple believes the improvements are all on the inside of the phone rather than the outside, it may be called iPhone 12s.
Because the only cosmetic changes expected are a smaller TrueDepth camera region, dubbed the notch, and a rear camera rearrangement, it’s unclear which moniker Apple will use.
I don’t believe that the number 13 in the name will deter Apple, as others have speculated. After all, they sold a lot of phones with iOS 13 on them, and the sky didn’t fall.
What date the reveal?
We can expect this year to be lot more normal than the previous one. After all, Apple warned in 2020 that the iPhone will be delayed by a few weeks.
The most recent earnings call made no mention of this, so September it is.
What day of the week?
Tuesday. Wednesday is an option, but Tuesday is the most likely. This year’s event appears to be a virtual one rather than a live one at Cupertino’s Steve Jobs Theater. As a result, Apple could do it every day of the week, but I believe it has such a well-oiled machine in place that it doesn’t need to alter.
And which week?
It will almost certainly be the first or second week of the month. Apple occasionally chooses the first week of the month (2016 was September 7), but the date has been two digits in every year since (10, 12 or 15).
Apple has never held an event on September 11th, and I doubt they will this year, given that it is the 20th anniversary of the 2001 terrorist attacks.
So Tuesday, September 7th or Tuesday, September 14th are the only options. The second of these, in my opinion, will be the big day.
And it’ll be big: in addition to four new iPhones, AirPods 3 and Apple Watch Series 8 are on the way (and possibly an exciting surprise extra wearable).
Date and time, then?
It’s always at 10 a.m. local time, which will be California time in this case.
So, Tuesday, September 14 at 10 a.m., is my forecast.
At the beginning of September, invitations will be sent to the press. On Friday, September 24, I believe the phones will go on sale—all four at the same time.
This means that the iPhone 12 small and iPhone 12 Pro Max will have only been available for 326 days, or less than 11 months, in the iPhone lineup.
All of this is subject to change, but that is the schedule I am anticipating.
