What you need to know
- Bloomberg says some iPhone 12 models will not make the usual September window.
- We don't know how long, but "multiple weeks" are to be expected.
- It'll be worth the wait, and we'll be getting a new HomePod as well.
Bloomberg is the latest to lend weight to rumors that at least some of Apple's iPhone 12 models won't make a September launch window thanks to the coronavirus pandemic. We can expect them to miss the normal window in September by "multiple weeks" according to a new report.
While Bloomberg doesn't appear to know which iPhones will be delayed, it will likely be the higher-end iPhone 12 Pro models. Apple has gone the route of staggering launches before, with iPhone X shipping weeks after iPhone 8. If Apple follows a similar pattern here, iPhone 12 will likely be the first out of the door.
But while we might need to wait for those higher-end models, it sounds like it will be worth it. Bloomberg again echoes previous reports that we can expect an iPad Pro-like design this year. The LiDAR Scanner is also expected to make the jump from iPad Pro, too.
This year's successors to the iPhone 11 Pro and iPhone 11 Pro Max will be joined by two lower-end models to replace the iPhone 11. At least the two high-end devices will have flat stainless steel edges instead of the current curved design as well as more sharply rounded corners like the iPad Pro introduced in 2018. Reminiscent of the iPhone 5 design, the new handsets will have flat screens rather than the sloping edges on current models, said the people asking not to be identified because the plans aren't public.
That sounds very exciting, with Apple also reportedly finally ready to share AirTags with the world. A new, smaller HomePod will also join the lineup "in the second half of this year". An AirTags timeframe is a little less certain, though.
The Apple Tags wireless accessory will offer functionality much like gadgets already on the market like Tile trackers, people familiar with the product said. It will be bundled with an Apple-designed leather sleeve and a keychain to attach it to objects, they said. The thin, small, puck-shaped tags have been in development for over a year and are planned for release as early as this year.
The reason we can expect an iPhone delay this year is simple – coronavirus has impacted Chinese operations greatly. Apple also hasn't been able to send engineers to China, preventing normal testing and verification processes from taking place.
