Apple CEO Tim Cook stands in front of the launch week logo – Image courtesy of Apple
Apple will be announcing a number of new products during Halloween week, but the focus will be on the new Mac update with M4.
There were expectations that another event would be held following the “Glowtime” event that Apple held in September. A second presentation of the rest of the catalog was widely anticipated, given that there was no discussion of Mac products or iPad updates in the September announcement.
Apple later confirmed that new products were coming, but not through an event. Instead, the announcement is scheduled for one week starting October 28th.
Unlike the usual event graphics, it’s clear that Apple is communicating that it’s going to be a Mac-centric week. First, Greg Joswiak’s post on X begins with, “Make your calendar your Mac!”
The animation itself starts with a Finder face icon, then changes to the Apple logo. It also uses the same “Glowtime” aesthetic, hinting at Apple Intelligence running on Apple Silicon Macs as well.
This is something Apple is expected to introduce later in the week.
Mac mini, iMac, MacBook Pro
Since the M4-type iPad Pro was announced, there have been requests for Apple to do the same for Apple Silicon Mac models. If nothing changes since M3, there’s a lot that Apple could change.
If rumors are to be believed, the biggest update will likely be the Mac mini. With an update coming soon, your Mac mini will get a long overdue refresh.
The current Mac mini design is already quite small.
That could include a new, smaller form factor that moves away from the angular aluminum pack design to something more sophisticated. There is also talk of it having five USB Type-C ports instead of the USB-A version.
Along with Mac mini, desktop Macs may also be updated to iMacs. The 24-inch model was last updated to M3 in November 2023, but an update to M4 is not impossible.
There are rumors that Apple will create a larger design for the iMac, possibly with a 32-inch display. It’s questionable whether that will come to fruition, as there are usually more rumors about changes as the world approaches the expected launch.
M4 MacBook Pro could be coming soon
The more obvious changes are the 14-inch MacBook Pro and 16-inch MacBook Pro. Updated in fall 2023, a one-year update interval is reasonable for some of the most popular Mac options in our catalog.
iPad
Apple’s week-long event announcements will be very Mac-centric, but there’s a small chance Apple will announce other content. This may include the base model of iPad.
The iPad hasn’t been updated in a long time. Last updated in fall 2022.
Rumors haven’t said much about updates to the base-grade iPad, but the most likely change would be an upgrade to a more modern chip. This makes sense, since Apple wants to bring Apple Intelligence to as many devices as possible (including the iPad).
An unlikely announcement
While there are certainly things Apple might announce, there’s also a list of products that won’t necessarily arrive.
For example, Apple has already updated the iPad Pro and iPad Air in early 2024, so it’s highly unlikely that they’ll be updated again in a few months.
Apple also updated the iPad mini, announcing the 7th generation model via press release in mid-October.
On the Mac side, there are rumors that the MacBook Air series won’t be updated until spring 2025 at the earliest.
There’s more news from the band when it comes to heavy hitters Mac Studio and Mac Pro. Rumors strongly believe that they could arrive in late 2025.
