At this point, it’s almost certain that Apple will release the iPhone 13 next month. But while we won’t know the official date the phone will go on sale, an accidental e-commerce listing hints that the next-gen iPhone might launch on September 17.
The listing comes from a screenshot of a Chinese e-commerce app, initially spotted by IT Home (via MacRumors.) The image suggests that all four iPhone 13 models will go on sale on September 17, while the AirPods 3 will launch on September 30. There’s not much else to back up that claim, but it does dovetail with other recent rumours that claim Apple’s annual iPhone launch event will be held the third week of September.
Apple is (in)famous for having gadget launches down to a science, but the pandemic and global chip shortage have thrown a wrench into the usual routine. While the company generally hosts its annual iPhone event in September, last year it pushed the launch to October. Apple also held two other events, announcing the Apple Watch Series 6 in September and M1 MacBooks in November.
All the signs this year point to the iPhone once again arriving in September, but it does seem like we’re due for multiple events this spring as well. In particular, we might see the new M1X 14-inch and 16-inch MacBooks, along with a high-end Mac Mini, in November.
If we go by previous years, it seems likely that Apple could hold its iPhone event on September 7, September 14, or September 21.
If September 17 is, in fact, the sale date, September 7 may be a contender for the launch event itself. It falls in line with CNET’s “Labour Day Theory.” While it’s somewhat convoluted, the theory goes that if U.S. Labour Day falls on September 1-3, the iPhone event occurs the following week and if it falls on September 5 or later, Apple announces the iPhone the following Wednesday. And while it’s possible September 21 is in the cards, Apple has yet to hold an iPhone event after September 15 (not including last year’s October surprise).
Is this Apple Nostradamus-ing ridiculous? Yes. We all know the iPhone 13 lineup will get here when it gets here. But at this point, predicting iPhone launches is a time-honoured tradition.