Excellent news: There’s a yellow iPhone 14. Unhealthy information: This in all probability means Apple has given up on the thought of an Apple spring occasion in 2023.
We’ve suspected this for some time, the truth is. Apple initially deliberate to deal with its long-awaited AR headset on this yr’s spring occasion, however the newest spherical of rumored delays implies that’s unlikely to occur. (I say “newest,” however that’s not fairly true: much more reported delays imply the headset may not seem till the autumn.) Within the absence of the headliner, there was at all times a robust chance that Apple would pull the occasion totally.
The launch of a brand new iPhone coloration, nonetheless, elevates the no-event principle from “robust chance” to “close to certainty.” The final two spring occasions have seen related bulletins: the Alpine Inexperienced iPhone 13 Professional was unveiled on the Peek Efficiency occasion in March 2022, whereas the purple iPhone 12 made its debut on the Spring Loaded occasion in April 2021. If Apple nonetheless deliberate to carry an occasion in spring 2023, it will certainly wait till it had the world’s consideration to disclose the yellow iPhone 14. The one doable cause to launch it now can be to trick pundits into pondering there received’t be an occasion… which isn’t an inconceivable principle given Apple’s fondness for discrediting leakers however is unlikely.
In any case, spring occasions don’t occur yearly. Positive, there was one final yr and the yr earlier than, however not in 2020 (although the start of the Covid pandemic might need upset Apple’s plans for an occasion that launched the iPhone SE, 4th-gen iPad Professional, and Magic Keyboard). There have been spring occasions in 2018 and 2019, however not in 2017. We get used to routines, however that doesn’t imply they’re set in stone. And except for the logistical problem, holding an occasion once you haven’t bought something earth-shattering to speak about dangers decreasing your viewers’s curiosity the subsequent time you ship out invites.
Thoughts you, there’s a wild card that might render this complete principle moot. Apple is believed to have one thing fairly attention-grabbing up its sleeve that might arrive as early as April. This spring’s “shock,” if you need to use that time period for a product that’s been leaked as broadly as this, is the arrival of the 15-inch MacBook Air and the early arrival of the M3 chip, which was anticipated in late 2023 or early 2024 however may feasibly seem in April.
Simply because the announcement of the yellow iPhone means there in all probability received’t be a spring occasion, maybe the shortage of a spring occasion means the MacBook Air both isn’t coming but. Or it’s only a bigger mannequin and isn’t as thrilling as we’re hoping it’s. Or Apple is simply messing with us.
However assuming our calculations are right, you in all probability need to begin taking a look at WWDC on your subsequent keynote repair. See you in June, everybody.
