Rumor: Apple memo to service providers suggests potential announcement of new hardware next week



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Apple has reportedly informed service providers that it has planned some sort of “AppleCare-related change” for next Tuesday, December 8. It’s not clear what that could mean, but history suggests it could be related to some sort of announcement of new material – or none at all.

MacRumors obtained an internal memo from a “trusted source” that said service provider technicians should “prepare for new product SKUs, new / updated product descriptions, and new / updated product pricing.” . The memo says the changes are scheduled for Tuesday, December 8 at around 5:30 a.m. PT.

According to the report, Apple issued “nearly identical memos” to service providers before previous product announcements. For example, Apple sent out a memo asking techs to prepare for similar changes on October 13 at 10 a.m. PT, when Apple hosted its iPhone 12 event.

The report speculates:

While Apple is unlikely to host another event this year, 5:30 a.m. PT has been a common time for Apple to issue press releases showcasing new products, such as a new 13-inch MacBook Pro. in May 2020, the 16-inch MacBook Pro in November 2019 and second-generation AirPods in March 2019.

With AppleCare changes expected, it’s likely that any product announced next Tuesday would get AppleCare + coverage, so we might be looking at new hardware.

Several Apple products are rumored to be still in the works, including AirPods Studio, AirTags, and a new Apple TV. All of these products could theoretically be announced via a press release next Tuesday. In addition, reliable Twitter leaker L0vetodream suggested that Apple still has a “Christmas surprise” coming up this year.

9to5Mac recently found more evidence of AirPods Studio and AirTags in a recent iOS 14.3 beta. In fact, iOS 14.3 includes support for AirTag trackers as well as third-party tracking accessories.

But there is no guarantee that this memo relates to a hardware announcement. It could be that Apple is just planning minor changes to AppleCare, a new accessory, or something completely unrelated that isn’t even made public.

It will be interesting to see what, if anything, comes out of this rumor. Do you have any guesses? Let us know in the comments!

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