Gurman's reasoning isn't just a guess pulled from thin air,he's pointing to Apple's own internal rhythm.The company's marketing,finance and operations teams tend to lock in dates months ahead,and mid September launches let new iPhones count toward fourth quarter earnings while giving retailers time to stock shelves before the holidays.Pre-orders would likely open the Friday after the keynote,September 11, with phones hitting stores around September 18.Prices are expected to climb too, with one analyst suggesting the Pro models could cost up to $200 more than last year.This will also mark the first keynote under Apple's new CEO, which honestly makes the whole event feel a little different this time around,even before a single spec sheet leaks.
On the hardware side,the iPhone 18 Pro is rumored to run on a 2nm A20 Pro chip,Apple's first at that node, promising close to 15 percent faster CPU speeds and around 30 percent better power efficiency over the A19 Pro. Battery capacity looks set for a real jump as well.Chinese regulatory filings reportedly show the international iPhone 18 Pro Max battery at 5,391 mAh, up close to 12 percent from the iPhone 17 Pro Max's 4,823 mAh,while the eSIM only US variant could carry an even bigger 5,567 mAh cell.Camera upgrades are also expected, including talk of a variable aperture system that hasn't appeared on an iPhone before.
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