September 12th iPhone 5 & iPad Mini Announcement: Fact Or Fiction?
Posted by Michael Nace on Tuesday Aug 21, 2012 Under Apple Rumors, iPhone 5 OpinionIt’s amazing to me how the form factor and features of the iPhone 5, the advent of the iPad Mini, and the September 12th announcement date that will herald them all into existence, are all not a foregone conclusion for the tech media — and have been for some time. Perhaps it is simply that the media and tech users have reached some kind of psychic breaking point in their wait for the elusive iPhone 5, and that the tacit acceptance of these rumors as facts is some kind of variant on Stockholm Syndrome: we’ve been held hostage by Apple for so long that now we’re prepared to believe anything.
Each passing week has revealed a new part or sighting of the elongated iPhone 5 specs which, combined with a crescendo of mass production reports coming out of Asia, has constructed some sort of consensus that what we’re seeing is what we’re going to get. It’s certainly possible — we had glimpses of the iPad 3 that turned out to be largely accurate. At the same time, the source and presentation of the parts have been just sketchy enough to leave a lingering measure of doubt. Could it be that the scammers are just getting better and better at scamming us?
Even more puzzling is the belief in the iPad Mini. Though production reports and leaked photos have been scarce throughout the tech world, media sources insist that Apple will indeed unveil the long-rumored mini tablet alongside the iPhone 5, in a move that is so decidedly un-Apple and un-Steve Jobs. If Apple co-releases these products, then it will mark a profound sea change in the Jobsian approach to hyping and marketing Apple products.
And if all the iPhone 5 leaks turn out to be true, even moreso.
But what about this September 12th announcement date? It too has become cemented into the story of the iPhone 5. Can we rely on September 12th to truly be “the event we’ve all been waiting for?” (Kind of like how WWDC 2012 was “the week we’ve all been waiting for”?)
Some folks have asked me about my consumer electronics accessories sources in Asia, and what they are saying. They are all in on these rumors, just like the rest of the tech community. Cases are being tooled for the iPhone 5 and iPad Mini, and September 12th is D-Day for the launch of marketing campaigns in order to be first to market with new iPhone 5 and iPad Mini gear. But where are they getting their information from? From the bits of iPhone 5 flotsam and jetsam that have leaked into the rumor mill out of shady mainland China?
Moreover, why are we locked into September 12?
So far as I can tell, the September 12th announcement date stands as a result of this article from iMore, published on July 30th:
iMore has learned that Apple is planning to debut the new iPhone at a special event on Wednesday, September 12, 2012, with the release date to follow 9 days later on Friday, September 21. This information comes from sources who have proven accurate in the past.
The iPad mini will be announced at the same September 12 event, as will the new iPod nano. We haven’t heard a release date for the iPad mini yet, but it could be the same as the iPhone 5. It seems likely the new iPod touch will make an appearance on September 12 as well, though we haven’t heard any specific information about that yet either.
Dig deeper into the article, and you start to realize that iMore’s September 12th claim seems more like a deduction based on a rumor posted on a French website citing Chinese sources: “Last week, App4Phone.fr, citing Chinese manufacturing sources, reported the September 21 release date.”
Then, iMore seeks to bolster its claim by citing the agreement of some tech media heavyweights: “Update 2: Jim Dalrymple of The Loop has added his trademark “yep”. Update 3: The Verge is now reporting the September 12, 2012 date as well.”
Interestingly enough, The Verge is where the notion of the elongated iPhone 5 screen first appeared.
Apple is certainly able to call a press conference at its headquarters in Cupertino, but looking at the Moscone Center’s schedule for September, it seems unlikely that there is any way the event could take place there on September 12th:
Intel, which is one of Apple’s key partners, has an event that straddles the 12th, its their big convention/tradeshow for the year. Would Apple have an event to release three new devices — iPhone 5, iPad Mini, and new iPods — and completely suck the air out of Intel’s gig down the street? Maybe.
If Apple is really going to do this on September 12th, it would stand to reason that they would need to get invitations out by September 1st or so, in order to give the mainstream media ample time to get their schedules in place to attend. With that weekend being the Labor Day weekend in the U.S., and the start-up of school the following week, that’s an awfully awkward time to have this landmark event, isn’t it? Last year’s October event was much better positioned, since most people had already settled down into a routine — and were ready to spend some money.
Just as I am not 100% sold on all of this iPhone 5 and iPad Mini stuff going into the announcement, I’m also not 100% sold on the date of the announcement, either. Apple has shown us that anything is possible. But if all this comes true, it seems to make a lot less sense than we’re used to Apple making when it comes to product releases.
By Michael Nace
Michael Nace is the Publisher of the iPhone 5 News Blog and iPhone 6 News Blog. He has published articles about the iPhone since 2010.
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August 21st, 2012 at 11:30 am
Michael that was well written and makes great points. From an economists point of view, you are spot on. We know there are 3 devices coming (smaller pad, touch/iPod, phone). I also agree that there will be a day where there is nothing tech wise around it.
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August 21st, 2012 at 1:20 pm
every time i read an article like this i get more frustrated with apple :/
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August 21st, 2012 at 1:43 pm
Whenever the announcement day is, it just isn’t soon enough. I’m so anxious for it and definitely ready for a new phone.
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August 21st, 2012 at 2:17 pm
I agree that the dates for the alleged Apple ‘event’ seem to have spurious origins, Macrumors even has a banner at the top of its site which all but confirms their belief in it.
If what we have seen with the leaked components and release dates so far turns out to be true will Apple just say that the new iPhone was never meant to be a secret but blow us away with another device?
Two more factors entered the mix for me today:
1. Here in the UK 4G has just been given to Orange/T-Mobile (soon to be called Everything Everywhere), with the go ahead on the 1800MHz frequency and a 6 month head start on their rivals, Vodafone, 02, Virgin etc. Not an astounding announcement in itself BUT the date they are to start rolling it out is the 11th September, just 1 day short of the purported iPhone announcement. This is awfully close to the announcement day and would give this company a unique selling point for a new 4G enabled iPhone.
2. The Apple ‘Back to School’ offers are ending soon and typically this is followed the very next day by some new hardware. The promotion ends this year on the 21st September, the same day rumoured to be the announcement day of the new iPhone, iPad mini and iPods!
Can all this leaked information be fake, the worst kept secret in recent tech history, an elaborate hoax or indeed all true? It is too close to call, I for one hope it is fake but only time will tell….
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August 21st, 2012 at 2:20 pm
Sorry…..
Paragraph 5 should read ….. 21st September, the same day rumoured to be the RELEASE day of the new iPhone….
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August 21st, 2012 at 2:29 pm
@Willem, It must be frustrating for Apple as well… I mean, if they come out with a date, no one will buy an iPhone 4S/4/3GS. If they don’t come out with a date, they get us loyalists upset, plus they have to keep the secret, well… secret.
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August 21st, 2012 at 2:56 pm
@Jeff in Everett
If Tim Cook announces the same iPhone as we’ve all seen in the leaked parts, I for one will laugh until I stop.
Doubling down my arse!
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August 21st, 2012 at 2:57 pm
Crap! There goes my birthday gift to myself(9/25)! thanks for the logical thinking Michael and Charles Lol.
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August 21st, 2012 at 3:56 pm
@Vernicularis, I stand by what I said…
…a few weeks ago.
If they triple down on security, they’ll have walk-up guided tours of their R&D division, and if they quadruple down on it, they’ll install a remote guided webcam with a microphone in Tim Cook’s office. (that last one was suggested by someone on here…)
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August 21st, 2012 at 3:58 pm
I’ve learned to translate Apple’s “Back to School” as “Get rid of the old inventory”
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August 21st, 2012 at 4:00 pm
@Jeff in Everett
HeHeHe
If they tripled security we would probably have seen the iPhone 7 by now.
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August 21st, 2012 at 4:01 pm
I’ll put October 2, 2012 on my calendar for the announcement, and the 12th for delivery… just a hunch, no data to back it up.
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August 21st, 2012 at 4:14 pm
@Vernicularis,
At least the business plan, the schematics, and the source code for it…
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August 21st, 2012 at 4:55 pm
Just out of interest, any news on the iOS 6 gold master release yet? I’d have thought that this would be launched a few weeks before the final release of iOS 6, which if these dates are correct would be the 12 or 21st of September.
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August 21st, 2012 at 5:13 pm
Do you honestly think the media would care what date the announcement is on? Apple could give one day notice and wherever they do it the world’s media will be there.
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August 21st, 2012 at 6:42 pm
I’m really hoping that the announcement is on the 12th and the release date is the 21st as I have booked both those days of work specifically for only that reason. I can see logic why it wouldn’t be announced on the 12th but also can see why it would and there are many big guns confirming it as well as MacRumors which has a banner at the top of its page basically telling everyone that’s the date lol. Will be so upset if it’s not.
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August 21st, 2012 at 9:05 pm
@Matthew, I don’t think this conversation ever took place (I’m mocking Macrumors, not you):
Intern (entering room): Macrumors.com put a banner on top of their page saying that the iPhone 5 is being announced on 9/12!
Tim Cook (looking concerned at computer): Well, we told them to wait until fall, and technically, 9/12 and the 21st is still summer…
Intern: What will we do? If MacRumors has it, we have to release it, don’t we?
Tim (stroking chin): I’m not sure. We had planned to announce it on the 13th, and release it on the 22nd, which is Autumn, but now that MacRumors says that AT&T and Verizon are not letting people go on vacation between those days, the whole world economy will implode if we don’t release on the 21st.
Intern (fumbling with his iPhone): Am I an insider? What’s a call?
Tim: No, you’re not per se, but you do have inside information, so in this case, yes, you are.
Intern: (putting iPhone down): aww man!
Tim: Never mind that. Buy the Moscone Center, and kick Intel out of there on the 12th… we have a show to do!
Just a little humor, folks… Remember, it’s all rumor and guesswork until it shows up! That’s part of the fun of this game!
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August 21st, 2012 at 11:13 pm
Isn’t it amazing how APPLE hasn’t announced ANYTHING, NO DATES, NO MEETINGS, NO PRESS EVENTS- NOTHING. But yet, the media and almost every rag on the market has the balloons flying off the banners and brownies being made….
Just pathetic….
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August 22nd, 2012 at 1:01 am
The tech media is the boy who cried wolf. No matter how bad I want to believe them I can’t haha.
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August 22nd, 2012 at 4:42 am
The tech media doesn’t care about the iPhone or the iPad or even Apple itself, they CARE about site visits and click-bait.
It’s better for them to generate hype about a date and then have that date pass before then saying they were mistaken and trumpeting the next date as the real deal thereby generating more click-bait to drive their statistics and advertising revenue.
It is wasn’t Apple it’d be A.N. Other company release, it just so happens that apple plays ball with them and the secrecy around the new Apple products makes it far easier for them to speculate wildly about possible releases.
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August 22nd, 2012 at 4:45 am
Wow, that last post came across as really cynical. I’m not a huge cynic, honestly!
The tech sites though really don’t have a special insight into the world of Apple, but when the same rumour is repeated anough times in enough places it’s human nature to then assume it is more believeable.
I like the speculation personally, it wiles away the time before Apple officially makes an announcement but i try to see it for what it is, rumours gaining traction through repetition rather than fact.
… it’s still fun though…
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August 22nd, 2012 at 8:27 am
What are the odds of Tim Cook doing the iPhone launch keynote and then mimicking SJ with a “one more thing” as he’s about to leave the stage and announcing the mini iPad?
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August 22nd, 2012 at 9:00 am
@Oscar, I’ll toss my hat in the ring and say the odds are 70/30 on the “one more thing” min iPad reveal.
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August 22nd, 2012 at 11:48 am
We all got it wrong, look at this video:
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August 22nd, 2012 at 12:49 pm
Well Oscar made a great point as all comments are great. Not sure what to believe but I am anxious. The news have been keeping me on the Webb looking for updates. But hey the let’s talk iPhone event was announced a week before the event so maybe it will be the same this round as well and maybe the iPhone 6 will see a real design change if not the 5.
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August 22nd, 2012 at 12:53 pm
Darren raised a good question as well with ios 6 gold master. Where is beta 5?
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August 22nd, 2012 at 3:37 pm
@Dewayne, I’m guessing that’s why Apple hasn’t officially announced an event date yet. They have to finish up everything with iOS 6 and make sure that everything in their supply chain is going smoothly and on schedule before they are ready. I would guess they will wait until the very last minute until they announce the event. Maybe Apple hopes to be able to do it sept. 12th, but if they have any hiccups with the production or the software, they can easily push that date back until they are sure that they’re ready.
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August 22nd, 2012 at 6:04 pm
@Vernicularis That video was one of the funniest things I’ve ever seen! LMAO
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August 22nd, 2012 at 8:34 pm
@Vernicularis, after watching that video, I’m not sure if I’m laughing at it, or crying inside…
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August 22nd, 2012 at 10:50 pm
fact or fiction, it doesn’t matter. I guess we’ll just have to sit tight and wait! In the mean time, have a look at this. Imagine everyones response if Apple went back to their ‘root’s
http://www.huhmagazine.co.uk/4167/how-the-iphone-could-have-looked
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August 23rd, 2012 at 4:37 am
@Vernicularis
Hahahahaha that video you linked is hilarious!
We wereee wronggg!
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August 23rd, 2012 at 7:56 am
I don’t know about dates, but I still think we are going to be shocked when the new iphone comes out.
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August 23rd, 2012 at 9:12 am
@Daveydog, here you go!
http://www.indiegogo.com/yellowjacket
This way you can be shocked and shock others as well!
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August 24th, 2012 at 5:01 am
@Pan, that phone would have been the most ridiculous object on the market! Great in a cult cliche way but you’d feel like a fool using it in public.
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August 24th, 2012 at 9:02 am
@Oscar, if one person uses it, they look foolish, but if 500,000,000 people are using it, well, then…
I guess 500,000,000 people will look foolish!
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September 1st, 2012 at 1:56 am
Somehow I didnt see this article until just now -.-
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September 1st, 2012 at 1:57 am
Oh wait… I commented on it already lmao
I guess I did see this article and then completely forgot about it haha
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