Apple today announced that its next "special event" will be held on Oct. 13.
Tune in to Apple.com/events at 10 a.m. PT / 1 p.m. ET next Tuesday for a virtual presentation that will mostly likely include the launch of the iPhone 12, and perhaps some audio devices.
The event's tagline is "Hi, Speed," suggesting that 5G is indeed finally coming to iPhone. Apple is somewhat late to the game in releasing a 5G smartphone, but as Apple watchers know, the company's modus operandi has long been to wait until certain technologies have matured before jumping in itself. The new iPhone will also get a speed boost from Apple's new A14 chip.
Apple has typically released its latest iPhones in September, but the pandemic forced it to push back the launch a few weeks and release the Apple Watch Series 6 and new iPads first, not to mention iOS 14 and iPadOS 14. If the company follows its usual release schedule, we'll likely be able to pre-order the new iPhones next week and have them in hand the following week. A few rumors, however, suggest that pre-orders for the iPhone 12 Pro models will be delayed until November and ship the same month, but we'll have to wait until next week for full details.
Check out our full iPhone 12 rumor roundup for a rundown of expected features.
The announcement, meanwhile, comes shortly after Apple removed rival audio products from Bose, Logitech, Sonos, and others from its online and retail stores, suggesting that new headphones and speakers from Apple and its Beats brand might be on the horizon.
Apple's "Hi, Speed" event, meanwhile, takes place on the same day as Amazon Prime Day, making next week a busy one for the tech industry.