- The iPhone 12 release date is set for late October, and Apple has already confirmed that the 2020 iPhones will lunch several weeks later than the usual late September release window.
- Retailers in the US and China are already preparing for the iPhone 12 announcement, with new ads that seem to imply the launch is imminent.
- Apple’s upcoming press event will focus on wearables and tablets, rather than iPhones. The Apple Watch Series 6 and iPad Air 4 should be introduced on September 15th, but not the iPhone 12 series.
Apple will host its first big event of the season on September 15th, where the company is expected to unveil the Apple Watch Series 6 as well as new affordable iPads. Other Apple products might be unveiled at the show, but the iPhone 12 series isn’t likely to make its debut in mid-September. The novel coronavirus pandemic disrupted Apple’s usual iPhone launch schedule, and the company has already confirmed the new models will arrive several weeks later than the typical late-September launch window. Several leaks claimed in the past few weeks that Apple’s iPhone 12 event will take place about a month later than usual, in mid-October, and that two of the four iPhone 12 versions will be available in stores by the end of the month. Apple isn’t expected to deliver any iPhone 12 news during the September 15th press event, but some retailers are already getting ready for the arrival of the new handsets.
Target has created new ads featuring Apple’s upcoming products, and it mistakenly published one of them. Found by 9to5Mac, the ad bellow lists all the highly anticipated new Apple products. The retailer makes no mention of the new iPhone’s commercial name, using a combination of iPhone 11 deals and iPhone 11 imagery for the “new iPhone” section of the ad. We also have a note that indicates where the new iPhone imagery will go once the product is unveiled. The same goes for the new iPhone 12 cases.
Target apparently feels more confident about the Apple Watch Series 6 product name, which is listed in the ad. But Target doesn’t know the price, saying the new Watch will cost “X99.99.”
The new Apple Watch and iPad Air 4 will likely go on sale soon after Apple announces them on Tuesday. Current-gen Series 5 smartwatches and Air models have already run out of stock in most places, which indicates that a product refresh is imminent.
Target isn’t the only retailer preparing for the iPhone 12 launch. Per WCCFTech, China’s Pinduoduo also believes the iPhone 12 launch might happen this week, and that sales will start soon after that. The retailer is China’s second-largest online marketplace, and it’s telling customers that they’ll be able to reserve the next iPhone beginning on September 16th.
Pinduoduo also lists the iPhone 12 name in its marketing message, which indicates the new iPhones will support 5G connectivity. Like Target, the Chinese retailer must be making sure it’s ready to announce iPhone 12 availability as soon as Apple launches the new iPhone series.
That said, we don’t expect Apple to unveil new iPhones on Tuesday. Apple might mention the iPhone 12 launch during the show while addressing the coronavirus and how it impacted its business this year. It’s also possible that Apple will tease the iPhone 12 keynote, and it might even tell us when it’s happening in October. But don’t expect anything more specific when it comes to iPhone 12 announcements.
