iPhone 13 launch date: 'California Streaming' Apple Event confirmed for September 14

Apple CEO Tim Cook (File image)

The launch date of iPhone 13 is considered to be out, as gadget giant Apple Inc has announced that its annual mega event will be held on September 14.

Also referred to as the 'California Streaming' Apple event, the occasion is expected to be used by the company to unveil its new iPhones.

Apart from iPhone 13, other top products which the company is expected to launch include new Apple Watch and Airpod models.

The Apple Watches are released once in a year, and the upgraded version of AirPods are expected to be announced as the last update was released around two years ago, in 2019.

Notably, iPhone will be the most-watched-out gadget which Apple is expected to release at the September 14 event. Some iPhone 13 specifications have been leaked online, and if reports are to be believed, the biggest of them all is that iPhone 13 will include support for satellite communication.

Kuo’s investor note, spotted by MacRumors, also says the iPhone 13 lineup will feature hardware that is able to connect to LEO satellites. Once enabled with relevant software features, iPhone 13 users can make calls and send messages without the need for a 4G or 5G cellular connection. The Qualcomm Snapdragon X60 baseband chip, which supports satellite communication, will feature in the new phone.  

The report also says users will not have to pay for communicating over LEO satellites. Telecom operators though may need to have an arrangement with Globalstar, the company Qualcomm is working with, to offer satellite communication connectivity.

In a separate report, Bloomberg said the feature would be dubbed “Emergency Message via Satellite” and integrated into the iMessage app as a third protocol. This feature will show grey bubbles as opposed to green and blue for SMS and iMessage texts.

While Apple annually releases the upgraded iPhone in September, the launch event for iPhone 12 was pushed to October last year due to the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.

A possibility exists that Apple may, along with iPhone, AirPods and Apple Watch, announce new versions of MacBook Pro and iPad. However, reports indicate that the new models may be released this fall, if the company sticks to its annual schedule.