This year’s iPhones will debut in the third week of September, although that date could “push out into early October” due to “continued product model tweaks,” says Wedbush analyst Dan Ives.
In a new note to clients, Ives gives his expectations for the debut of the next-gen iPhones — as well as a forecast of Apple’s expectations for the handsets. If he’s accurate, Apple’s expecting some very big things indeed for the iPhone 13.
Ives writes:
“Asia supply chain builds for iPhone 13 are currently in the ~90 million/100 million unit range compared to our initial iPhone 12 reads at 80 million units (pre-COVID) and represents a ~20% increase YoY out of the gates. While this number will clearly move around over the coming months, we believe this speaks to an increased confidence with Cook & Co. that this 5G driven product cycle will extend well into 2022 and should also benefit from a post vaccine consumer ‘reopening environment.'”
Apple doesn’t share exact numbers for iPhone sales any more. However, from all accounts, the iPhone 12 became a massive success for the Cupertino tech giant. It’s possible that the iPhone 12 will even outsell the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus, currently the gold standard for Apple as far as top-selling iPhones are concerned. Even if they don’t quite reach those lofty levels, this has still been one of the best iPhone “supercycles” in history. The fact that Apple is setting its sights even higher for iPhone 13 says a lot.
What’s coming to the iPhone 13
Rumors for the iPhone 13 suggest it will feature a few big upgrades. Just like last year, Apple is expected to release four different variants, including two regular models and two Pro models. The new phones will include a new A15 chip, smaller notch, buttery smooth ProMotion display, new matte black color option, LiDAR on all models and a possible 1TB storage option. We also might see the return of Touch ID — this time located inside the iPhone display. This year’s models also could become a bit chunkier to house a new, improved battery. Finally, for customers outside the United States, Apple reportedly will introduce ultra-fast 5G mmWave tech previously available only in the states.
Ives writes that he has “increased confidence” of the 1TB storage option, and LiDAR across all four iPhone 13 models.
What are you hoping for from the iPhone 13? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
