'iPhone 12' event announcement expected this week

Another leaker is casting doubts on the possibility of an imminent hardware release, with the expected Tuesday press release predicted to just contain details of when the fall "iPhone 12" launch event will take place.

A number of rumors have pointed to Apple holding some form of event in September, with at least one leaker claiming an event will take place during the week of September 7. Accoring to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman on Twitter, the latest murmors of an Apple press release may not necessarily be for a product launch.

Posted to Twitter on Sunday, Gurman proposes people don't "get too excited about rumors of new Apple products appearing this week." Instead, he thinks its more likely to be an announcement relating to an upcoming event for the "iPhone 12" and "Apple Watch Series 6," one that will almost certainly be "virtual."

The post follows an earlier tweet from serial leaker Jon Prosser, which claimed Apple was readying a press release for September 8, which would be published at 9 A.M Eastern time. Prosser didn't discuss on Sunday what he expected would be in the press release, but said the time could change, and that it would require the press to have been "briefed, day of" before its publication.

Gurman's warning is fairly prudent, given Apple's tendency to provide at least a week's warning before holding an event surrounding a major product launch. For 2019's "By invitation only" special event for the iPhone 11, Apple told media about the September 10 date on August 29, giving 12 days warning.

Even for a virtual event with a premade video, one that could end up being similar to how Apple presented the WWDC 2020 keynote, Apple may still err towards providing advanced warning of the upcoming iPhone launch.

Expected products

Apple is largely expected to reveal new four iPhone models during the event, consisting of two "iPhone 12" models and two "iPhone 12 Pro" versions. As well as differing by cameras, the Pro models are thought to reuse the iPad Pro's LiDAR sensor for depth mapping, with 5G connectivity also believed to be a major addition across the board for this generation.

The event may also be the launch venue for the "Apple Watch Series 6," which this year may include a plastic version, Liquid Crystal Polymer (LCP) to improve wireless performance, and blood oxygenation monitoring.

A new iPad model could be on the way, potentially in the form of the "iPad Air 4," which could borrow the design and second-generation Apple Pencil from the iPad Pro.

The often-rumored "AirTags" may also make an appearance. Consisting of a Bluetooth and UWB-equipped tag, the "AirTags will potentially work with Apple's existing Find My app to help users locate lost items it is attached to.