Apple’s iPhone 12 launch event is today: How to watch it live – CNET [CNET]

This story is part of Apple Event, our full coverage of the latest news from Apple headquarters.

Ah, October. Leaves are turning brown, air is getting chillier, pumpkins are getting spicier and now Apple Stores are dropping from the internet. It can only mean one thing: Apple’s new iPhone is coming Tuesday. That’s right, the company’s next-generation phone, likely called the iPhone 12, is expected to be announced in an online-only event at 10 a.m. PT Tuesday. 

CNET’s live pre-event coverage begins at 9:30 a.m. PT. Watch it above.

We’re expecting to see a new boxier iPad Pro-inspired look, faster processing chips and 5G wireless technology. Here’s what we’ve heard so far about the iPhone 12’s price and release date, and a few features on our iPhone 12 wish list that Apple should steal from Samsung.

The new iPhone is the smartphone that Apple fans and industry watchers alike have been waiting awhile to see. It’s the first major revamp of the iPhone’s design since 2017, when Apple introduced its $1,000 iPhone X, with its new face unlocking design and better screen technology. One survey from Decluttr, a device recycler and reseller, found that a “staggering” 53% of respondents plan to buy this year’s iPhone, touching off what analysts call a “supercycle” of phone upgrades.

Read more: Will iPhone 12 have Touch ID so we can unlock our phones with masks on? Probably not

“We believe iPhone 12 represents the most significant product cycle for Cook & Co. since iPhone 6 in 2014 and will be another defining chapter in the Apple growth story looking ahead despite a softer consumer spending environment,” Wedbush analyst Daniel Ives wrote in an Oct. 6 note to investors. He called this launch a “once in a decade” event for Apple.

All told, Apple’s event promises to be interesting. It’s the third such big product announcements Apple has made during the coronavirus pandemic.

Apple’s event will overlap with Amazon’s annual Prime Day sales event, which is happening Tuesday and Wednesday. Amazon typically holds its annual sale during the summer. But like with everything else, the coronavirus disrupted those plans.

While the iPhone will be a key product we see at Apple’s event this year, and likely what most people focus their attention on, the company’s expected to have other devices to show off. Those include new Apple-branded over-ear headphones called the AirPods Studio, potential updates for the $299 HomePod speaker, a potential “iPhone Mini” that sits somewhere the $399 iPhone SE and $699 iPhone 11 and, potentially, even Apple’s long-rumored AirTags beacons to find your lost keys, among other things.

Apple’s online-only event follows the company’s last announcements in September for its newest iPads, Apple Watches and Apple One subscription service.

When is the Apple event?

Apple’s online-only event will be held on Oct. 13 at 10 a.m. PT, which is 1 p.m. ET, 6 p.m. BST and 4 a.m. AEDT on Oct. 14 (sorry, Australia).

Where can I watch Apple’s livestream?

You’ll be able to stream the event straight from Apple’s website. Or you can watch CNET’s live watch party at the top of this article, starting at 9:30 a.m. PT.