Apple's 2020 iPhones Said to Launch Starting in Late October Due to Coronavirus Delays - MacRumorsOpen MenuShow RoundupsShow Forums menuVisit ForumsOpen Sidebar
Skip to Content

Apple's 2020 iPhones Said to Launch Starting in Late October Due to Coronavirus Delays

Apple's 2020 iPhone lineup won't launch until late October, according to a new report from Japanese site Mac Otakara that cites sources in the Chinese supply chain.

iphone12dummylineup

iPhone 12 dummy models

Apple has historically held all of its modern iPhone unveilings during the first few weeks of September, with iPhones launching soon after for the most part, but this year, the release could be pushed back due to production delays caused by the ongoing public health crisis.

There have been multiple rumors suggesting delays thus far, so it seems that some or all of the 2020 iPhones will be coming later than September. Apple may still unveil all of its iPhones in September, but launch the devices later than expected.

There is precedent for a delayed launch after announcement as Apple's iPhone XR in 2018 was announced in September and then launched in late October.

According to Mac Otakara, Apple's LTE iPhone 12 models will be released in October, while 5G models will follow in November.

‌Mac Otakara‌ has something of a mixed track record when it comes to rumors as if often sources Apple's supply chain which is not always accurate, but we have now heard several rumors about delayed launch dates, so we can expect at least some if not all of Apple's 2020 iPhones to come later in the year than normal.

We're expecting four iPhone variants in 2020, including lower-cost 5.4 and 6.1-inch iPhone 12 models and higher-end 6.1 and 6.7-inch iPhone 12 Pro models. Everything we know about what to expect from the 2020 iPhone lineup can be found in our iPhone 12 roundup.

Related Forum: iPhone

Popular Stories

iOS 27 Next to iPhone

Here's When iOS 27 Rolls Out Today in Every Time Zone [Update: It's Out]

Sunday September 13, 2026 3:00 am PDT by
Update 10:04 a.m.: iOS 27 is rolling out now, though it may take a bit for all users to see it, so keep checking! Apple is about to release iOS 27, which will finally deliver more advanced Siri AI capabilities as well as a variety of other refinements, improvements, and new features to iPhones. It's Apple's biggest software update of the year, and Apple announced at Wednesday's iPhone event...
iOS 27 Icon iPhone

iOS 27 Available Today With These 8 New Features

Monday September 14, 2026 9:00 am PDT by
Update: Apple has released iOS 27. During its iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone Duo event last week, Apple announced that iOS 27 will be released widely on Monday, September 14. iOS 27 should be available around 10 a.m. Pacific Time / 1 p.m. Eastern Time today via the Settings app, under General → Software Update. Below, we have highlighted eight new features and changes coming with iOS...
deep black iphone 18 pro

Apple Says iPhone 18 Pro Max Sold in U.S. Differs in One Way

Saturday September 12, 2026 3:27 pm PDT by
As noted by Nicolas Lellouche, who writes for the French tech website Numerama, Apple has updated its tech specs pages for the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max to clarify which models are equipped with its new C2 cellular modem and where. Apple now says the iPhone 18 Pro has a C2 modem worldwide, while the iPhone 18 Pro Max uses the chip in every country except for the U.S. According...

Top Rated Comments

80 months ago
I’ll wait until Apple says what they’re doing.

The number of predictions and re-predictions has become old.
Score: 16 Votes (Like | Disagree)
80 months ago

I don’t believe it. iPhone is one thing that Apple rarely, if ever, delays. Perhaps there will be a staggered launch but no iPhones until late October? Not buying it.
We've also never had a pandemic like this in our lifetime.
Score: 11 Votes (Like | Disagree)
NickName99 Avatar
80 months ago

Dear iPhone 8 / SE users: I dare you to resist upgrading to the 5.4"...
I won’t be the least bit tempted to trade in my 2020 SE until COVID-19 vaccinations are widespread in the US, obviating the need for masks. Until then I’d much rather continue enjoying TouchID on this fantastic little phone.
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
jayducharme Avatar
80 months ago
Maybe they'll launch one in orange for Halloween.
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Homme Avatar
80 months ago
Ah but one piece of info which could just prove Mac oktara wrong is that they said iPhone 12 with LTE modems will ship first before the 5G ones

um but all iPhone 12 models are to be shipped with some sort of 5G. Where are they getting that some will come with LTE from considering no one else has made that claim
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Dwalls90 Avatar
80 months ago
There’s a global pandemic, and people are complaining about getting their iPhone a month later than most past years? I‘d also like to remind people that we’ve had many October iPhone launches before, so this shouldn’t be a huge surprise.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)

🔗 Related Apple News & Rumors

Stay updated with the latest Apple ecosystem news and verified rumors