Apple's next-generation iPhones to ship in September?

Turns out Apple's iPhone development teams weren't running particularly late, as the company is rumored to be preparing to ship new devices Sept. 22.

Apple, iOS, iOS 11, iPhone, iPad, iPhone 8
Apple

Apple will announce the future of its decade-old iPhone franchise at a special event in the Steve Jobs Theater at its Apple Park campus on Sept. 12, with many claiming the company will ship its new devices just 10 days later.

Momentum builds for new iPhones

Expected to be available in three varieties, including upgraded iPhone 7S models and an all-new high-end device, and predicted to cost up to $1,299, the new smartphones are expected to become the biggest-selling mobile phones this season.

The new smartphones ship, as some analysts noted, increased interest in devices from other manufacturers, despite which Juha Winter, senior analyst at Strategy Analytics, writes:

"The iPhone 7 remains the world's most popular smartphone model overall, due to a compelling blend of user-friendly design, extensive supporting apps, and widespread retail presence for the device. Apple iPhone 7 Plus, with its bigger screen and higher pricing, shipped 15.1 million units for second place and 4 percent marketshare worldwide in Q2 2017. Apple today accounts for two of the world's top five smartphone models."

iPhone hype or supercycle?

Estimates vary, but many expect the next iPhone will maintain this market lead, with one Barclays survey claiming as many as 18 percent of consumers will be ready to invest in the new device.

Cannacord Genuity has an even more positive expectation, predicting up to 32.4 percent of existing iPhone owners will upgrade.

This follows months in which analysts have agreed and disagreed as to the potential of this unleashing an iPhone upgrade "supercycle."

However, other analysts point to Apple's continued weakness in China as evidence that desire for Apple's high-end smartphones may be waning.

Apple's executive team will be hoping the new models are popular enough to see off stiff competition from Samsung's Note 8 and various devices from Huawei.

What features will the iPhone 8 have?

Apple's next-generation devices will be built for iOS 11, ARKit and other high-end improvements the company is preparing for its devices.

At the high end, while we don't know if the device will be called an iPhone 8, iPhone X or iPhone Edition, we do expect it to introduce facial recognition, wireless charging (though this may be an optional extra) and replacement of the Home button with an all new user interface.

You can read more about what to expect here and also here.

When can you get the iPhone 8?

Despite months during which analysts, pundits and several people we've never heard of consistently claimed Apple was running late with iPhone development, it now appears we can expect the new devices to ship in the next few weeks.

Reporter Evan Blass believes iPhone pre-orders will begin on Sept. 15 with the new models set to ship one week later on Sept. 22.

His claims were collaborated in the U.K. by Benjamin Geskin, who said carriers sources have told him to expect the product release on Sept. 22 when staff at that carrier's retail stores have been warned of an early start to cater for demand.

We'll wait to find out for sure, but it looks likely now that the much-discussed iPhone 8 will be in consumers hands by the end of this month.

Apple will stream the announcement on Sept. 12 starting at 10 a.m. local time. You'll be able to watch it using the Events app on Apple TV, as well as also online here.

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Jonny is a freelance writer who has been writing (mainly about Apple and technology) since 1999.

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