What to expect from the October event on Apple's iPad and Mac

Apple is not finished.

After launching no less than three new iPhones and a new Apple Watch, the tech giant is about to reveal the next step for its other major products: the iPad and the Mac.

Apple sent invitations to the press for an event on October 30th. Surprisingly, California's Cupertino, California, is hosting the event on the East Coast, at the Brooklyn Academy of Music in New York.

Does the choice of place have a special meaning? Probably, even though Apple will probably not say what it is until the keynote has started, at 10 am ET that morning. But it seems cautious to think that the news will focus on the creative tools that are the hallmarks of Apple's Macs and iPads.

So what will reveal Apple? Let's start our enlightened speculation with some basics: Apple, in recent years, has generally kept its major updates of the iPad and Mac for its October events, and rumor seems to confirm it. Several Apple products need to be updated and the company has yet to fulfill the promise of exit (AirPower, where are you?).

In view of all this, here is our best (informed) estimate of what Apple will reveal at its event "There is still a lot to do":

IPads enjoy refreshment

Even in the absence of leakage, it's easy to say that Apple is planning new iPad Pro. For starters, the product line has not been updated since June 2017, when Apple updated the 12.9-inch model and introduced the 10.5-inch version, so that they're really expected for a redesign (they still stir A10X chips, now two older generations).

Add to that the competition between productivity-focused touch devices has intensified. Over the past few weeks, we've seen new high-end tablets and convertibles from Google, Microsoft and others. A lot of laptops and high-end machines are putting pressure on Apple's long-toothed tablets, which are explicitly aimed at creative professionals.

Then, of course, there are leaks. For months, reports, renderings and various pieces of code have strongly suggested a refresh of the iPad Pro, but with an expected twist: the new models will be the first iPad with edge-to-edge displays and no buttons home, which guarantees the facial identity.

In the era of the iPhone X, it's probably not a surprise, but here's what it shows: Reports also suggest that the new iPads will have USB-ports. C instead of the proprietary Lightning connector from Apple. The jury is still aware of this detail, but Apple would only open its typically walled garden in this way if USB-C allowed something essential that Lightning can not do (like exporting a 4K video to an external screen at a high rate). In other words, possible, but still very questionable.

New iPad Pro also means the possibility of a new Apple pencil, with even greater capabilities and possibly a new form factor. Finally, will there be a new iPad mini, possibly end-to-end? Apple has planned to do it, but with a target release date in 2019, do not look for it at this event.

The Mac becomes interesting again

Apple does not have a good modern entry-level notebook since the release of the lean MacBook in 2015. While many were expecting the machine to eventually become cheaper and take over the post from the entry level of the MacBook Air, this did not happen.

The MacBook Air still occupies a leading position in Apple laptops, starting at $ 999, but it's a substandard computer compared to all MacBook and MacBook Pro. Over the years, it has often been predicted that Apple would at least put its screen to "retina," but this has not happened yet.

A tempting summer report however suggests that Apple could do something else: a new entry-level MacBook with Retina display and thinner glasses that look like the MacBook Air. It's unclear what ports it would have, but probably more than the single-port MacBook. If this new species of MacBook is well in preparation, we may have a preview on Tuesday.

In addition to the new MacBook, Apple needs to update its iMac desktops, whose latest update took place in the summer of 2017. CEO, Tim Cook, promised that Apple had not forgotten the Mac mini : the square gray box requiring an external monitor. , keyboard and mouse. Expect the two lines to be officially presented at Tuesday's event.

What about a new iMac Pro or Mac Pro? This is possible, although the iMac Pro has not even been on the market for a full year, so it's unlikely. The Mac Pro, which Apple said it will work on, should arrive in 2019. However, Apple could use its event to unveil it officially, because it would be appropriate to launch such a high-end device several months in advance.

Finally, Apple can check a box that it could not update with the update of the MacBook Pro during the summer: a non-Touch Bar model with Intel chips updated.

Apple's task list

Even if you stick to the products, features, and services that Apple has already talked about, the company is a long way behind catching up. Here is the rest of Apple's list of tasks, ranked in descending order.

Update iOS 12.1 with Group FaceTime: The FaceTime group was a major unveiling at WWDC in June, but it was not cooked enough in time for the launch of iOS 12. This would be a good time to announce its official arrival date.

Dual SIM support for eSIM phones: The current generation of iPhones is the first to support dual SIM, but on all phones located outside of China (whose iPhones have two SIM card slots), eSIM technology allows it. Again, it was not ready in time for the launch of the phones, so we will probably know exactly when the feature will be activated.

Air power: We have not heard any more about AirPower since Apple unveiled the triple-play wireless charging mat for iPhone, AirPod and Apple Watch in June 2017. Rumors have been circulating about the reasons for which AirPower is so late (the most credible explanation was Apple would not have been able. The load plates should not be aligned so as not to overheat), but with the vacations that Announce, we really feel that it's time to launch AirPower.

AirPods 2: Apple is certainly working on a new generation of wireless headphones, but as for the launch date, it's not clear. A moment Siri hands-free in the main video of the iPhone suggested that a new model came with this feature. If it exists and it's about to be, it's time to publish it. However, if it were only keywords, the AirPods 2 will probably stay until next year.

Apple TV service: With all the talent that Apple has spent, from Oprah Winfrey to Steven Spielberg, there is definitely something important to be done and there will almost certainly be an early event. However, it is a bit incongruous to use a single event to launch both new iPads and a major over-the-top video service. So we probably have time to wait before seeing exactly how Apple plans to assume Netflix et al.

No matter what Apple has in store, Mashable will be at the center of everything. Our team will be an event on Tuesday, so stay tuned for news, analysis, LOL-worthy GIFs and more.