Why new Apple iPhones are almost always unveiled in September: Control Shift

Over the next month or so, we’re going to be bombarded with new product announcements from the world’s tech and consumer electronics giants.

You would probably need to be living under a rock at this point not to have heard Apple is preparing to release the next iteration of the iPhone. Alongside this, there have been reports of the Steve Jobs-founded tech giant also preparing other new technologies, such as a mobile payment platform or smartwatch.

Over in South Korea, there has been speculation for months about the devices Samsung will present in order to steal the thunder of its biggest rival – and best (microprocessor) customer.

For months, executives have been planting stories in the Korean press about smartwatches that don’t need to be tethered to a smartphone, virtual reality headsets, or six-inch phablets with curved displays.

Not to be outdone, Samsung’s South Korean compatriot, LG, is already preparing the second version of its smartwatch – an Android Wear device with a round screen known as the Watch R. Its predecessor, the G Watch, has barely reached store shelves, having been released in June. It will compete for attention against Samsung at the IFA consumer electronics trade show in Berlin.

Meanwhile other tech giants, including Motorola and Microsoft, are also preparing to show off their latest tech toys. Even BlackBerry has a small square-screened tablet, known as the Passport, on the way.

Over the coming weeks, there will no doubt be countless columns written about these devices, comparing them, expressing disappointment about Apple, and trying to predict what it means in terms of industry dominance.

Of course, there’s an incredibly simple reason why all these devices will appear on the market over the next month or two, and that’s because the consumer electronics industry is already preparing for Christmas.

THrough many years of trial and error, the industry has learnt that September and October are the optimal months for unveiling new products with enough time to fill those all-important retail sales channels. As with many industries, in consumer electronics, Christmas is the busiest sales season.

It might seem like a ridiculously simple insight at first. However, far too many businesses make the mistake of only thinking about their Christmas strategy in October or November, alongside the office Christmas party. By then, the more organised shoppers will have already started their Christmas shopping – which means missed sales opportunities.

As video blogger and SEO expert Jim Stewart explains, when it comes to online marketing, now is the time to put your Christmas strategy into action.

After all, it’s what Steve Jobs would do.