Apple’s ‘Surprise and shine’ event is set for September 9, but the company already surprised us this week by launching new products in late August. Here’s why that rare move could signal big things coming at the September event.

August product release signals September event that’s already jam-packed with new products

If you follow Apple closely, you start to notice patterns in the company’s calendar year.

New products typically launch around March, then June brings WWDC and software unveilings, followed by a big September event, and often some October launches too.

While it’s not unusual to see smaller products debut via press releases throughout the rest of the year, one thing is exceptionally rare: a late August product launch.