Yahoo Finance Apple to unveil iPhone 12 next week after announcing launch event
Apple is set to unveil its next iPhones next week on October 13, after it announced a launch event on Tuesday.
The company invited media and analysts to a live streamed event to be held at 10am Pacific Time (6pm UK time), featuring the tagline “Hi, speed” - or, when said aloud, “high-speed”.
Apple has traditionally used its event invitations as a way to hint at a new feature or aspect of the products it will unveil. Tuesday’s is likely to be a reference to 5G, with the new iPhones set to be the first that are compatible with the next generation mobile networks.
The tech giant is expected to unveil multiple versions of the iPhone 12, with as many as four variations expected at different screen sizes and price points. It is unclear how many will be 5G capable.
New iPhones are typically unveiled in September, but the company revealed in July that this year’s models would go on sale later than usual, a delay likely to be linked to production issues caused by coronavirus. It has already unveiled new Apple Watch and iPad models, but the iPhone remains by far Apple’s biggest source of revenue.
High speed could also refer to the custom processors Apple puts inside its products, which have become a key selling point of its iPhones and iPads in recent years.
Chief executive Tim Cook said in June that the company will this year release its first Mac computers that use Apple’s own processors, rather than the Intel chips the company has often relied on. The “Apple Silicon” chips, which run on architecture developed by Britain’s Arm, are likely to offer longer battery life, although the company has said it will still use Intel chips in some Macs for a few years.
The company could also use the event to announce its first set of over-ear headphones, an attempt to build on the success of its AirPods line. This week, it removed headphones from rivals such as Bose and Ultimate Ears from its store, a potential sign it plans to push its own product.
Apple will be relatively late in releasing a 5G iPhone, with manufacturers such as Samsung having had compatible handsets for over a year. The company reached a deal with Qualcomm, the dominant maker of smartphone modems, last year after a legal battle, paving the way for it to release 5G devices.
