Apple's iPhone 11 Is Coming. Here's When It May Be Unveiled

Recently, Apple watchers switched their attention to Apple’s new side businesses like Apple Card and the impact of tariffs on the company, instead of their usual focus: the iPhone. But Apple’s smartphone returned front and center this week because of leaks about when the next version, expected to be called the iPhone 11, may be unveiled.

The phone, it turns out, will debut in September, according to a leak by Apple itself. Additional reports also disclosed what is said to be the phone’s name, details about its screen, and more.

But this week’s Apple news wasn’t just limited to the iPhone. A Trump administration decision about tariffs on products produced in China means that it will cost Apple more to manufacture devices like Mac computers, starting on Sept. 1, and iPhones starting on Dec. 15.

And in another development, Apple sued a company this week called Corellium for allegedly infringing on its iOS technology.

It was a decidedly mobile-focused week for Apple. Read on for more:

Get ready for Sept. 10

In releasing its latest iOS 13 beta software to testers, Apple may have revealed when it will unveil the iPhone 11. An image with the words “HoldForRelease” in the software showed the date Tuesday, Sept. 10 on the iOS calendar app icon. The date coincides with a previously rumored date for the new phone’s premiere.

Last year, Apple similarly failed to hide an image with a date on its calendar app that ended up being the date of its iPhone XS debut.

Apple watchers now say that Apple will hold its press event for new iPhones on Sept. 10, offer pre-orders on its new devices on Sept. 13, and make the phones available on Sept. 20. Apple, of course, hasn’t disclosed its plans.

A Galaxy Note display?

Apple will use the same materials for its iPhone 11 display that Samsung tapped for its recently unveiled Galaxy Note 10, according to a report this week. The display material, called M9, is an organic light-emitting diode (OLED) technology that can produce bright and accurate color. The report suggests Apple’s iPhone 11 screen quality will be similar to the Galaxy Note 10’s. However, since panels can be tweaked in a way that impacts brightness and color, there’s no guarantee that their visual quality will be the same.

The Trump tariff impact

The Trump administration this week gave Apple and other smartphone makers a reprieve by pushing a planned 10% tariff on smartphones manufactured in China and imported to the U.S. to Dec. 15. However, a variety of other products, including Macs, AirPods, Apple Watch, and Apple Watch bands, are still subject to the 10% tariffs starting on Sept. 1. If Apple decides to pass on those tariff costs to consumers, prices on those products may increase.

An iPhone 11 Pro?

Apple hasn’t disclosed the name of this year’s new iPhones, but documentation leaked this week to a French news site this week that said Apple will use iPhone 11 branding in this year’s phones. The report said Apple will release three iPhones this year, according to the report: The iPhone 11, iPhone 11 Pro, and iPhone 11 Pro Max. The iPhone 11 will ostensibly replace last year’s iPhone XR, and the Pro versions will replace the iPhone XS and iPhone XS Max.

Goldman Sachs’ Apple Card cost

Several analysts this week said that Goldman Sachs could lose money on its partnership with Apple on their new Apple Card credit card. Nomura analyst Bill Carcache said that Apple Card would generate lower revenues and face higher losses than the industry average, according to CNBC, which reported about the note. He added that Goldman Sachs will spend $350 per Apple Card user just to get them to get the credit card. It will take four years before Goldman will get that much back in revenue.

Apple files suit against iOS ‘replicas’

Apple filed a lawsuit this week against the company Corellium, alleging that its technology, which creates a virtual version of iOS for security experts to use for research, “is blatant infringement.” Apple said that Corellium “has simply copied everything,” including the iOS code, design, and icons to develop its technology. Apple asked the court for an injunction against Corellium, which has yet to publicly respond to the lawsuit.

One More Thing…

All of this talk about the iPhone 11 had me thinking about the past this week. So, I analyzed Apple’s iPhone release schedule over the previous couple of years, researched iPhone 11 rumors, and concluded now is a really bad time to buy a new iPhone. Read more about that here.