iPhone 8 release date: Apple to hold major event on 12 September with Apple TV, Watch and new phones

The launch will be the first look at the new Steve Jobs theatre, as well as the phone

Bon the dog poses as an iPhone during the 17th annual Tompkins Square Halloween Dog Parade October 28, 2007 in New York City (Mario Tama/Getty Images)

Apple will reveal its new iPhone 8 on 12 September.

The company has invited the media to a major event at its new Steve Jobs Theater, which is part of the still incomplete Apple Park.

The event will also see the launch of a new Apple TV and Watch, according to numerous rumours. And the iPhone 8 won't be the only phone: it's also expected to show off cheaper phones in the 7s and 7s Plus, both of which will continue the current design of the iPhone 7.

Almost everything about the premium iPhone 8 is thought to have been revealed by accidentally uploaded software that Apple made available online. But there are still surprises, including how Apple will actually make use of the phone's strange new design.

If Apple sticks to its usual schedule, pre-orders will open for the phone on 15 September and it will actually hit shelves a week later, on the 22nd.

The invitation made specific reference to the fact that the event will be the first at the brand new, spaceship-shaped Apple Park.

(Apple (Apple)

The entirety of the invitation appears to be a reference to the location, and seems to reveal little about the phone. In previous years, Apple has at least suggested something about the new phone's features or the announcement itself in the way the invites are designed – or so some people claim.

Last year, for instance, Apple's tagline was "see you on the 7th", and the image included in the invite made heavy reference to the soft focus effect that would appear in the iPhone 7 Plus.

The full event will be liveblogged by The Independent, and there will be continuing coverage of the iPhone 8 both before and after the release. You can read all the latest on the new iPhone here.

As well as the iPhone, Apple is expected to reveal new versions of the Apple TV and the Apple Watch. The Watch will feature an LTE radio so that it can connect to the internet, and the set-top box will get support for 4K.