Mikey Campbell
Serial leaker Jon Prosser on Wednesday narrowed down this fall's expected Apple Watch, iPhone and iPad product launches to near exact dates, saying the company will break with tradition and announce changes to at least two major product lines in a September press release.
In a tweet, Prosser claimed Apple plans to debut an anticipated "Apple Watch Series 6" and next-generation iPad models through a press release to be issued in the week starting Sep. 7. The leaker failed to specify which tablets are slated for unveiling, though current rumors point to a 10.8-inch iPad Air and refreshed iPad mini.
Distancing Apple Watch from Apple's flagship iPhone line by announcing it separately — and in a press release, no less — would be an odd step for the company. That said, Apple is also rumored to be working on so-called "Apple Glass" AR glasses that could be ripe for announcement this fall.
Apple's annual iPhone event is scheduled for the week of Oct. 12, Prosser said, adding that the company will break its "iPhone 12" launch into two phases. Mid-tier "iPhone 12" handsets will go up for preorder during the week of Oct. 19, followed by top-tier "Pro" handsets sometime in November, according to the tweet.
"With the staggered release of iPhone 12 and uncertainty of final dates for Pro models, there's a chance that the dates could slip/change," Prosser said in a follow-up tweet.
A potential staggered launch timeline was first reported by Digitimes last week. At the time, sources from within Apple's supply chain reportedly said the tech giant could launch two 6.1-inch models in a first phase and 6.7- and 5.4-inch devices in the second.
Apple CFO Luca Maestri in an earnings conference call in July confirmed iPhone would launch a "few weeks later" than usual, intimating a release date in October or beyond.
Apple is expected to launch four "iPhone 12" models across multiple price points. More affordable 5.4- and 6.1-inch "iPhone 12" models are rumored to sport OLED screens, dual cameras, an "A14" processor and aluminum chassis. Top-end 6.1- and 6.7-inch "iPhone Pro" handsets add upgraded displays — potentially with Pro Motion technology — an extra camera and, on the largest "iPhone 12 Pro Max" model, a LiDAR Scanner. All 2020 iPhones should boast 5G connectivity.
Prosser is known for delivering accurate leaks, though he has published erroneous information, the most recent being pictures of a purportedly functional AirPower charging mat. Those images were later debunked, though claims from other prominent leakers suggest Apple is indeed working on a new AirPower device.
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14 Comments
Hope AAPL stays up at (or close to) its current levels. The rollout seems perfectly timed for a terrific Christmas for self, family, and friends! :-D
As long as QCOM is inside, my wallet will be open and ready.
Considering Apple admitted iPhone 12 would ship in October this leaker used Apple’s well known formula of announcing iPhones on the second Tuesday after Labor Day in September or the second Tuesday of the month in October to leak October 12. If Apple announces a different date (due to the pandemic) the leaker most likely would pull a Mark Gurman and claim Apple changed the date because he leaked it instead of accepting he got it wrong. Then next year AppleInsider and others would forget the error and claim prolific leaker once again and move onward with more leaks.