When Does The iPhone 7 Come Out?

For Apple product lovers around the world, something akin to a mixture of Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, Eid, and Diwali arrived on Monday with the tech company's latest unveiling event. Every time Tim Cook spills the deets on what's about to be released, followers of the brand are gifted with the knowledge that their gadgets will get significantly cooler than they thought possible, even after upping their expectations since product launch events past. However, with every unveiling also comes the curse of hearing a release date that is not that very second. But thankfully — or not so thankfully — the simultaneous excitement and disappointment was in some ways avoided this time around, since the next generation of iPhone didn't even make it on to the March event's agenda. So when does the iPhone 7 come out?

Apple product reviewers, including AppleInsider and MacRumors made clear that there weren't really expectations for the next generation iPhone to be unveiled during Apple's "Loop You In" event. Major iPhone debuts tend to happen in the fall: unveiling events for earlier iPhone models have gone down in early September, while releases have happened a few weeks thereafter. So although tidbits of information about the seventh generation iPhone have been coming for awhile now, those mulling over holding off on a smartphone upgrade until the baddest iPhone hits shelves will likely have to sit it out another six months.

It wouldn't have been unheard of for Apple to surprise viewers with some hard facts on the iPhone 7 on Monday, but the March 'Loop You In' extravaganza was really intended for a few other things. If you're open to an iPhone model that's a bit of old and new, the big star of Monday's event was an Apple smartphone — just not the iPhone 7. Cook's team finally pulled the iPhone SE, a 4-inch diameter phone that has many of the same features as the iPhone 6S, out from under wraps.

"Loop You In" attendees also got to check out a newest model of iPad and some stylish upgrades for the Apple Watch, among a few other announcements. But the name of the event even spoke to Monday being more of a catch-up session as opposed to one of Apple's real biggies. Diehard Apple customers will undoubtedly get that pee-your-pants kind of moment with the unveiling of the 7th generation phone this fall — how will the tech giant pull off an iPhone with a DSLR-quality camera and sans headphone jack?

It's already too much to handle.