No one needs to be reminded that 2020 was an extraordinary year, but according to a new report from DigiTimes, one of the changes forced by the pandemic may return in 2021.

Last year, instead of showcasing the iPhone 12, Apple Watch 6, and M1 MacBook in one big showcase, Apple made three online announcements between September 15 and November 10. This was due in part to the pandemic, and the general September launch event for the iPhone was reportedly postponed to October due to supply chain issues.

According to unnamed DigiTimes sources, Apple will do the same thing this time around, but the schedule will be much tighter. If true, that would theoretically mean up to four events a week, a grueling schedule of 13 iPhone devices, an Apple Watch 7, a 2021 MacBook Pro, and an iPad.

But that sounds like an unnecessarily tight timeframe. These events require a lot of preparation and holding them once a week for a month feels like a tall order.

More likely, Apple will hold two events in September (perhaps one for the iPhone 13 series and one for the iPad and Apple Watch), with the MacBook announcement later in the fall.

Of course, this is all pure speculation on our part, but it confirms what well-connected Bloomberg reporter Mark Gurman said in a recent Power On newsletter, that Apple will hold multiple events in the fall.

Of course, there are clear advantages to holding multiple events from a marketing standpoint.

But if Apple prefers to speak directly to consumers, the opposite is also true: according to MacRumors, about 2 million people channeled into Apple's 2019 event, where the iPhone 11 was announced.

And Apple used the opportunity to draw attention to its other products, including the Apple Watch 5, the seventh-generation iPad, and new shows coming to Apple Arcade and Apple TV Plus. If each of these products had held their own event, frankly, far fewer people would have known about Apple Arcade.

If the DigiTimes report proves accurate, Apple's own data must show that the schedule enforced by last year's pandemic was indeed beneficial to both media and consumer interest in the products. However, given that last year was so far from the norm, with more people staying home and seeking streaming entertainment, it would be brave to bet on the same results in 2021, when the situation will be a bit more open.

We'll have to see what happens when the invitations start arriving in the next couple of weeks.