iPhone 13 release date rumours begin as launch of new Apple handset and AirPods nears

(AFP via Getty Images)

Rumours of an imminent release date for the iPhone 13 are swirling ahead of a likely Apple event.

Apple traditionally reveals its new iPhones early in September, before putting them on sale shortly after. As such, the reveal of the latest model is expected within the coming weeks.

This year’s event could feature not only the iPhone but also other rumoured products, such as an updated version of the AirPods and new iPads.

The latest rumour suggests that Apple could launch the new phone on Friday, September 17, with the AirPods coming coming on Thursday, September 30. If that report is correct, then Apple would be expected to follow its usual schedule and reveal the iPhone during an event the week before, perhaps on 7 September.

The report may not be reliable, however. It comes from a Chinese language website named IT Home, which only reported that it had seen a screenshot from inside an e-commerce website, and has shared inaccurate information in the past.

But whether or not the screengrab is accurate, it chimes with previous reports that Apple is likely to move back to its usual – and generally reliable – schedule of early-September iPhone launches.

That was disrupted last year, amid the ongoing effects of the pandemic and lockdowns on supply chains. The iPhone 12 was not revealed until October – with some models not going on sale until November – but there is no indication that Apple will maintain that schedule this year.

While the pandemic is not expected to delay the launch of the iPhone this time, the pandemic is still likely to affect the number of the devices that are available. When it announced its results last month, it said that the ongoing chip shortage – caused partly by the coronavirus outbreak but also other issues such as droughts in east Asia – will probably hit future products, including the iPhone 13.

Whenever Apple introduces the iPhone, it is likely to be in the same way as other recent launches, through an online video that is hosted online. A physical and in-person event of the kind Apple held before the pandemic is unlikely given the ongoing response to the coronavirus in the US.

The new iPhone 13 is expected to include vastly improved cameras, with better photos and videos. It also expected to reduce the size of the notch in the top of the display, add extra battery power, and bring Apple’s latest chip and improved processing speeds.

The new verson of the AirPods are rumoured to borrow from the design of the existing AirPods Pro, and may add extra features such as a new case.