Apple’s next special event is just a few days away, if the latest report is correct, and will take place on Wednesday, September 7.

That’s according to Mark Gurman of Bloomberg, who just reported the date he thinks is correct. Frankly, he wasn’t the first to predict that date. Last week, Max Weinbach floated the idea that the event would take place on September 7, not September 13 as previously discussed. This meant that the likely release date for the next iPhones, not to mention the range of three Apple Watch models and possibly the next AirPods Pro, could also be pushed back. I would agree with that. While none of these sources say what the nature of the event will be, I’m going to go out on a limb and say it will be a replica of the WWDC event held at Apple Park.

Similarly, 9to5Mac says, “While nothing has been confirmed, it’s common sense that this could be the perfect time for the company to unveil the iPhone 14, Apple Watch Series 8 and more. Since WWDC 2022 had a hybrid experience, it looks like the company could bring the same experience to its September event, as the report says Apple has already started recording the keynote.” This report comes from Gurman that the recording of the keynote began some time ago – a smart move, so right up until the last minute, Apple can dial in for a completely virtual event.

It’s a sharp insight into the earnings call, and Kuo says the numbers that Tim Cook and company predicted are partly because they knew that iPhones would get an extra week of sales in the current quarter. The rest of us didn’t know that, as the expectation of a Sept. 13 unveiling was widespread.

It makes sense: releasing iPhones earlier can only be a good thing for Apple sales, especially since traditionally people stop buying iPhones in August, expecting a new model to be released in mid-September. Shortening the steaming time by an entire week is a good business practice.

Kuo continues, showing that while this release is good for sales, it can be done to minimize problems: “The risk of a global recession is still growing and unpredictable, so announcing/delivering the iPhone as soon as possible can minimize the impact of recession risk on demand.”

I’m not so convinced about this, for the U.S. market anyway, as there are signs that inflation may be cooling off now, so the reluctance to make expensive purchases may be less acute than expected. Nevertheless, the sooner the better.

The possibility that the event could have taken place in the week beginning Sept. 5 has been removed, as the release is usually a week later. In any case, Monday, Sept. 5 is a holiday, so flying staff and press from all over the world to celebrate for the event on Tuesday, Sept. 6, seemed unlikely.

Unless the event is virtual and not personal. Gurman thinks the event is recorded, so a virtual event is likely.

Moving the date of the event (virtual or in-person) to Wednesday, while not unprecedented, is unusual. But holding the in-person event on Wednesday, Sept. 7, would solve the problem of moving the staff and guests over the holidays.

But a virtual event, right? I understand what’s behind it, and after all, Apple is very careful about how it holds its events when Covid isn’t so far in the rearview mirror.

Still, I think Gurman is wrong when he says, “The company intends to stream the event online — instead of in-person meetings — continuing the approach it took at the beginning of the pandemic.”

In June, Apple held a very successful hybrid event with a pre-recorded speech played out on a huge video screen at Apple Park for hundreds of developers, selected guests and the press.