Apple has confirmed it’ll launch the next Phone series a bit later this year, via a third-quarter earnings call with investors on Thursday 30 July.

“Last year we started selling new iPhones in late September; this year we expect supply to be available a few weeks later,” said Apple CFO Luca Maestri during the call, without revealing why exactly the mass production of new iPhone models has been delayed by about a month. However, multiple reports over the past few months have suggested that the pandemic will affect smartphone production for a number of companies, Apple included.

Qualcomm, a major component supplier that also deals with Apple, even told investors earlier this week that it projects a “partial impact from the delay of a global 5G flagship phone launch”. In other words, the silicon maker expects to be affected by a new phone - most likely the next iPhone - not launching on time. 

Apple tends to unveil its newest iPhone series in September and starts offering them by the end of the month or early October each year. If we had to guess, based on Apple's previous release pattern and its latest comments during the earnings calls, the next iPhone likely won't actually launch until October.

Keep in mind Apple will probably still unveil the new iPhone series, the iPhone 12, during a live-streamed event in late September 2020.