New supply chain report backs up claims that we'll wait until October for iPhone 12

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Iphone 12 Design Leak
Iphone 12 Design Leak (Image credit: EverythingApplePro)

What you need to know

  • Apple will reportedly miss September, instead launching iPhone 12 in October.
  • Rumors have suggested as much in recent weeks.
  • The coronavirus pandemic has prevented Apple from sticking to its usual schedule.

A new supply chain report backs up previous claims that Apple's iPhone 12 lineup won't be ready for a September launch this year. Instead, it looks like October will be the magic month for those on the lookout for a new iPhone.

Supply chain watchers at DigiTimes report that volume production of the new iPhones won't get underway until the third quarter of the year, pushing a launch into October. Oddly, however, the same report claims that one of the new handsets will begin manufacturing sooner than the others.

Volume production of new mainstream iPhone models to start in 3Q20, say sources: Although the planned launch of Apple's 2020 iPhone lineup, reportedly to come in four models and three sizes, is likely to be in October instead of September, volume production of the mainstream 6.1-inch models are expected to kick off in July-August, according to sources familiar with the matter.

The 6.1inch iPhone 12 is the only one set to use a display provided by BOE and LG rather than Samsung.

It isn't clear what makes that iPhone special in terms of manufacturing in terms of timing. But I'm sure there's a reason – manufacturing coincidences and oddities don't happen with Tim Cook's Apple.

Oliver Haslam
Oliver Haslam
Contributor

Oliver Haslam has written about Apple and the wider technology business for more than a decade with bylines on How-To Geek, PC Mag, iDownloadBlog, and many more. He has also been published in print for Macworld, including cover stories. At iMore, Oliver is involved in daily news coverage and, not being short of opinions, has been known to 'explain' those thoughts in more detail, too. Having grown up using PCs and spending far too much money on graphics card and flashy RAM, Oliver switched to the Mac with a G5 iMac and hasn't looked back. Since then he's seen the growth of the smartphone world, backed by iPhone, and new product categories come and go. Current expertise includes iOS, macOS, streaming services, and pretty much anything that has a battery or plugs into a wall. Oliver also covers mobile gaming for iMore, with Apple Arcade a particular focus. He's been gaming since the Atari 2600 days and still struggles to comprehend the fact he can play console quality titles on his pocket computer.