- Apple is widely expected to unveil the iPhone 12 in mid-October, but it has not yet announced a virtual press event.
- A new report from Korea indicates the iPhone 12 will launch much earlier than usual in the country, claiming the iPhone 12 series will arrive either in late October or early November. This implies an iPhone 12 press event should be coming soon.
- Korea isn’t usually included in the initial wave of new iPhone launches, but Apple might be targeting 5G users in the region.
Apple is widely expected to unveil the iPhone 12 in the coming weeks, with October 13th looking like the most likely iPhone event date this year. The novel coronavirus impacted the development of the new models, and Apple confirmed a few months ago that the new handsets would not hit stores during the usual late September launch window. Apple did hold a virtual press event a few days ago, focusing on the new Apple Watch models, new iPads, and new subscriptions. Apple made no mention of the iPhone 12 during the event, but it did unveil the A14 Bionic processor that will power the four upcoming smartphones.
With September almost over, the company should soon reveal the iPhone press conference date. A new report indicates the iPhone 12 might launch by late October in a major market that isn’t usually included as part of the first wave. That’s another indication the iPhone 12 launch event is imminent.
Sources familiar with Apple plans told The Korea Herald that Apple is expected to launch the iPhone 12 series in Korea earlier than its usual schedule. Apple is looking to attract more 5G users in the market, according to the report.
The sources did not provide a launch date but said Apple is preparing to sell the iPhone 12 in late October or early November. This might coincide with the global iPhone 12 release date. If Apple unveils the iPhone 12 on October 13th, the phone could hit stores on October 23rd.
The Herald points out that Apple has been releasing iPhones in Korea about one month after the US, Europe, and other major countries. The iPhone 12 seems to mark a significant shift in strategy for Apple. One other explanation is that the global iPhone 12 launch is already delayed, and that’s why the Korean launch might seem early.
The report also notes that Apple is expected to launch four iPhone 12 models this fall, but does not refer to what iPhone 12 versions will be available initially in Korea. Apple is widely expected to launch two iPhone 12 versions in October, and the remaining two a few weeks later.
The Herald does offer one potential explanation for Apple’s focus on Korea this year. The iPhone 12 Pro Max is supposed to support the 28GHz high-frequency 5G band, a feature none of the existing Samsung and LG 5G phones have. Korea was the first nation to turn on 5G networks, and Samsung was one of the first companies to launch a 5G phone last year.
There’s no consensus on what iPhone 12 versions will launch in October, but all reports agree that the iPhone 12 Pro Max will be delayed to November.
