New Apple products coming in October 2021

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After a quiet summer (which we complained about at the time), Apple kicked off in September, releasing two new iPads, a new Apple Watch, and the iPhone 13. Hey, two out of three isn’t wrong.

Rather than resting on its milled aluminum laurels, Apple should continue the launch party this month. Here are the products that are expected to appear in October 2021.

When will Apple host its next event?

First of all: when will the launches take place? October, yes, but when exactly?

Nothing has been officially announced yet (which likely rules out anything during the first week of October), but we have a theory. Based on the times of an AirPods promotion currently underway by Apple, we think Tuesday October 12 is a likely bet.

However, read our regularly updated guide to the October 2021 Apple event for the latest leaks and rumors.

AirPod 3

So we have an idea of when to expect the announcements from Apple, but what will the company tell us? Let’s start with the long overdue AirPods.

This is the one we went wrong about in our September forecast article, but the reasons we expected it back then are still so true. If anything, it’s even more urgent for Apple to update the AirPods, which are one of the company’s most successful products, but haven’t been refreshed since March 2019. That is. really weird.

There are plausible reasons for the long wait, including production difficulties caused by COVID and seasonal considerations when launching a set of in-ear headphones, which make great Christmas gifts. (It’s also conceivable that Apple felt the headphones would fall less well during lockdown, when we all had less reason to listen to music on the go.) But now, surely the time is right.

Standard AirPods are largely designed to get an updated design and feature set to bring them closer to AirPods Pro. The “stems” will be shorter, for example, and we could also get new silicone tips for better passive noise isolation (but not active noise cancellation, which will remain a feature reserved for the pros). The charging case will also look more like the AirPods Pro.

You can keep up with the latest information with our AirPods 3 news hub. But note that if you’re interested in the next version of AirPods Pro – which we unfortunately don’t expect until 2022 – you should browse our AirPods Pro 2 hub instead.

Odds: 7/10

New Apple products coming in October 2021: AirPods 3 image by 52audio

Image courtesy of 52audio.

14-inch MacBook Pro

The Apple Silicon revolution has won rave reviews for the performance of Macs equipped with M1, but even now the Mac lineup is only partially upgraded to the new chips. Apple updated two of the 13-inch MacBook Pros to M1 processors in November 2020, but the other two stayed as is; Even now, if you go to the 13 inch MacBook Pro section of Apple’s website, you will see the option to purchase models based on Intel chipsets.

But all good things come to those who wait, and we hear that Apple has big plans for these Intel MacBook Pros – plans that could involve a redesign and a bigger (probably 14in) screen. And of course one of Apple’s own processors, most likely the rumored M1X.

Learn more about this exciting development in our new 14-inch MacBook Pro roundup.

Odds: 8/10

New Apple products coming in October 2021: MacBook Pro

The MacBook Pro equipped with M1 released in 2020.

16-inch MacBook Pro

What about the biggest MacBook Pro in Apple’s stable? The 16-inch model needs even more attention, without any M1 options: it’s Intel or bust, as far as Apple’s premium laptop goes, and you’re stuck with a rather old Intel chipset from 2018, surprisingly.

But here too, we hope for imminent news. An M1 (or M1X or M2) chip will be the first priority when announcing the next 16in Pro, but the design should be improved as well, with the Touch Bar on the exit and the MagSafe on the return. The laptop could also get a new smart titanium case.

You can read the latest theories in our regularly updated 16-inch MacBook Pro news hub.

Odds: 8/10

Mac mini

The October event will focus on the Mac, so there’s a chance Apple will find time to talk about the Mac mini, which, like the 13-inch MacBook Pro, is currently sold in M1 and Intel versions.

Rather than replacing the mini M1 that launched last year, the next model will be alongside it as a more powerful alternative. The old mini Intel will be quietly pulled out of the door at the same time.

As seems to be the theme of this roundup, the Mac mini could also be given a redesign, with notorious (albeit sometimes capricious) leaker Jon Prosser predicting that the 2021 model will be significantly thinner than the current one and feature a “like plexiglass”. High.

Find the latest gossip in our Mac mini news hub.

Odds: 6/10

What Apple won’t launch

We’ve already mentioned the next iteration of the AirPods Pro, which won’t be here until 2022. But there are other highly anticipated Apple products that shouldn’t grace us with their presence on this side of Halloween.

The new iPad Air – the next cab in Apple’s tablet ranking, following updates to the other four iPads in 2021 – would be an unexpected arrival this month, as it would have integrated better with other tablets announced in September. Supply chain reports actually suggest 2022 is more likely.

An updated MacBook Air (with mini-LEDs and, surprisingly, a colorful redesign) and an all-new Mac Pro are both in the works, but we don’t think they’ll be ready in time for launch in October. The Air is expected to launch in 2022, and a similar timeline is plausible for the Mac Pro.

And finally, we need to tone down speculation about Apple’s launch of a new iPhone. With the iPhone 13 and its siblings fresh off the treadmill, now is obviously a bad time for the iPhone SE 3 to debut, but readers are still asking, so here goes. I don’t promise to shave my eyebrows, but it takes a long time, let’s say.