What to Expect From Apple's October Mac Event

To nobody's great surprise, the previous Apple tree event, in September, was the traditional start-of-fall fest that was all about the phones, revealing the iPhone XR, iPhone XS, and iPhone XS Max to the earth. This time around, according to the near credible rumors, the Cupertino crew is ready to bear witness off what could be music to your ears: new Macs and iPads.

Rather than hosting the press in California as it usually does, Apple is coming right to PCMag'south backyard here in New York City. On Oct 30 at x a.m. (ET), the tech giant will take the stage at the Brooklyn Academy of Music. While nothing is confirmed withal, manifestly, the rumor mill has been pretty consistent: It's likely the turn of the iPad Pro and the desktop Macs to get refreshed.

First Upward: A New iPad Pro?

A new iPad Pro is chief among the expectations, with multiple specifics floating effectually the web. Co-ordinate to 9to5mac, which cites "sources familiar with the development of the new 2022 iPad Pro," the tablet will follow in the footsteps of the iPhones and do away with the Home button. It will also add Face ID, which would help brand that transition seamless.

Another key addition will reportedly be a USB Type-C port, which will be able to output 4K HDR video to external displays. If it happens, information technology'll be nice to see this increasingly industry-standard connection on another Apple tree production, given that the iPhones are still sticking with Lightning connectors. Information technology'south very possible there will be more than than ane model of this new iPad Pro, varying either in size or storage capacity (or both).

2nd Up: Desktops Are Overdue (MacBooks, Too)

Less certain have been rumors of new Macs, merely some seemingly concrete evidence has emerged this calendar week. Apple Insider cites both Consomac and MySmartPrice as having spotted Eurasian regulatory filings that hint strongly at three new desktops and 1 new MacBook. This is based on filed model numbers, so while that'southward no exact science, those model numbers accept non been used before, which makes this clue a apparent 1.

And so, what would we look these computers to exist? A revised MacBook, in whatever grade it might come up, would likely exist a low-price option. Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo projected this xiii-inch unit volition bear a Retina display and support for Touch ID, as well every bit slimmer bezels. The 13-inch screen size suggests a new version of the MacBook Air, which got a modest spec heave last year, to the then already-dated fifth Generation "Broadwell" family of mobile CPUs. (The smaller non-Air MacBook has a slightly smaller panel in its current incarnation.)

Indeed, we would recollect this is the tipping point for the Air, either frontwards or into the grave. The Air, as a whole, hasn't been refined in iii years, and in its current version has a display that's way overdue for an upgrade, well lower in resolution than the 1080p norm. Alternatively, Apple tree could practice away with the Air model entirely, and this new low-cost model could just be an entry-level evolution that's function of the general non-Pro MacBook line. (Afterward all, thirteen-inch-screened MacBook Pros practice exist.)

If a new MacBook of whatsoever stripe does emerge, 1 thing it will take is a choice of new Intel CPUs, making upward for chronically behind-the-curve MacBook processing of the past few years. This will be either an 8th Generation "Java Lake" chip or an even newer "Whiskey Lake" CPU.

Every bit for the desktops, information technology would make the most sense if in that location was one new 21-inch iMac, a new 27-inch iMac, and a Mac Mini. In that location are no guarantees that's what we'll get, of course, but it would follow both tradition and electric current rumor.

The iMacs would likely boast a screen update of some kind (maybe standardizing on 4K or 5K, or incorporating HDR; the screens are already up there in pixel count), besides as an internals boost—I wouldn't expect anything major. Best guesses: PCI Limited NVMe SSDs, 8th Generation CPUs.

Tertiary Up: The Desktop Outliers

The Mac Mini is the least likely, at least if you believe the quantity of fizz around it. Information technology has been mentioned only briefly in rumors, but there is conspicuously need, and it hasn't been updated since 2022. There are also no assurances Apple will reveal these desktops at this event despite the filings, but information technology would certainly make the most sense given the theme and the chip cadences involved.

In the end, Apple sent out dozens of invitations to press with differently styled Apple logos (our furry orange one is above), but with the same tagline: "There's more in the making." Going off of the obvious, a creator's focus would seem to exist the underlying message, which indicates to us the iMacs first and foremost, with the iPad Pros a close 2d. Nosotros'll see what actually emerges, simply given Intel's chip releases over the last quarter, the time is ripe for a refresh for all of the desktops—peradventure even the iMac Pro (which we looked at before this year) or revelations near the long-rumored modular Mac Pro; the latter is expected to roll out in 2022, non 2022.

Bank check back for our live coverage on Tuesday, October. 30th, every bit well equally our hands-on experiences from the show floor.