American tech giant Apple appears to finally be ready to launch this year’s iPhone, iPhone 12, after production delays caused by the pandemic. The company sent out invitations to bloggers and media today, for a virtual event on October 13. The invite says “Hi Speed” which could be a reference to the new iPhone processor and possibly the fact that it will support 5G connectivity.
Apple generally releases its new iPhones in September of each year, but this year’s September event only covered the Apple Watch and iPads. The company’s chief financial officer (CFO), Luca Maestri, had announced a delay in the launch date of the iPhone 12 due to the pandemic, which has affected the productions of most smartphone manufacturers. Like last year, the company is expected to launch three new iPhones this year as well.
Despite the delay, Apple should be ready to get the product to India in time for this month’s holiday sales. The company launched its first wholly owned e-commerce store in India last month, which could help speed up the launch date in India. The company began selling the Apple Watch Series 6 and Watch SE in India through its store on October 1, after announcing them globally on September 18.
While industry estimates suggest that Apple still has only around 2% market share in India, the company has done well in the last quarter in India. According to a report by International Data Corporation (IDC), the company’s market share grew just under 10% year-over-year in the latest quarter.
Analysts say the 2020 edition of the iPhone SE, which launched in May this year, has been in high demand in India, helping the company grow in India. That, and the fact that competing manufacturers like OnePlus have been hit by further delays in production, has helped Apple gain market share in India.
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