iPhone 13 event rumored for September 14, Apple expectations sky high

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Get ready for the next iPhone keynote!
Photo: Apple

The iPhone 12 has been a major success for Apple, but Wedbush analyst Dan Ives thinks the company’s expectations are even greater for the iPhone 13.

In a Wednesday note to clients, seen by Cult of Mac, Ives suggests Apple is gearing up to produce between 90 million and 100 million iPhone 13 units. That’s a 15% increase year-on-year over the iPhone 12, whose initial orders were for 80 million units.

The analyst also sheds light on when he thinks the iPhone 13 event will take place.

iPhone 13 orders

Ives acknowledges that the big iPhone 13 order numbers will “move around” over the coming months, with some challenges possibly coming from the global chip shortage. But Cupertino’s plans speak volumes about the “increased confidence” execs feel about the company’s next-gen5G handsets.

Ives writes that it’s high time for an orgy of iPhone upgrades:

“We believe the robust consumer product cycle continues globally for [Tim] Cook & Co. especially with today roughly 250 million of the current 975 million iPhones not upgrading their smartphones in over 3.5 years based on our analysis, speaking to massive pent up demand within Apple’s installed base.”

Ives also reiterates previous reports, suggesting that the iPhone 13 will offer a whopping 1 terabyte storage option. That’s double the 512GB maximum storage for the iPhone 12 series. He additionally thinks the 2021 iPhone lineup will include LiDAR across all four models.

When will it launch?

Ives predicts the iPhone 13 will make its debut in the “third week” in September. Since Apple keynotes typically take place on Tuesdays, that would peg the date as September 14. This would fit with Apple’s usual patterns. While the company delayed last year’s iPhone event until October due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the 2019 iPhone event happened on September 13. The year before that, it took place on September 12.

Interestingly, a report this week suggested Apple is delaying the date most employees return to Apple Park from early September to October. That suggests that this year’s iPhone unveiling will be another virtual event, rather than the return of Apple’s live keynotes.

Are you excited about the iPhone 13? What are you hoping for from this year’s iPhone refresh? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.

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