According to invites given out today, Apple’s next hardware presentation will take place on October 18th. Apple is likely to announce a pair of new MacBooks, a redesigned higher-end Mac Mini, and maybe a pair of third-generation AirPods at its second fall event.
The trailer for the invitation teases one word:
Unleashed! These next six days are going to speed by. #AppleEvent pic.twitter.com/0ops2bVPvl
— Greg Joswiak (@gregjoz) October 12, 2021
Unleashed. It appears in a dotted font, as seen below in a tweet from Apple marketing exec Greg Joswiak, which could indicate that small LED technology is on the way. At 1 p.m. ET / 10 a.m. PT, Apple.com will stream the “special” event live.
Apple is expected to release new 14- and 16-inch MacBook Pro models in the coming months, according to rumours. The new MacBooks would be the latest stage in Apple’s move away from Intel CPUs, which would be replaced by an Arm-based processor called the M1X, which Apple would design itself. According to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, the M1X includes ten CPU cores compared to the M1’s eight, as well as graphics processors with 16 or 32 cores compared to seven or eight in M1-equipped computers.
The return of fan-favorite MacBook features including magnetic MagSafe charging, an HDMI connector, and an SD card slot are also expected. Thankfully, the dreaded OLED touch bar may be on its way out. Gurman recently mentioned that the company’s existing MacBook Pro stock appeared to be depleting.
The same M1X chip is expected to appear in a revised higher-end Mac Mini, according to rumours. With two Thunderbolt / USB 4 Type-C ports and two USB Type-A ports, the new laptop will purportedly have more ports than the M1 model from last year. The new Mac Mini should be significantly better suited to power users as a result of the modifications.
Finally, Apple may unveil a pair of revamped AirPods, the company’s initial true wireless earbuds in their third iteration. The AirPods are rumoured to feature shorter stems and a revamped charging case, comparable to the AirPods Pro.
