What’s still happening in 2021 at Apple’s second fall event

Apple hosted its “California Streaming” event yesterday to unveil new iPads, the iPhone 13 lineup and the Apple Watch Series 7, but we’re not done with new products for the year yet.

We’re expecting a second fall event to take place in October or November, and that event will likely focus on Macs. Below, we’ve highlighted the products that are still rumored to launch before the end of 2021.

14- and 16-inch MacBook Pro models

We’re overdue for a refresh of the 16in MacBook Pro, and rumors suggest it’s coming soon. Many rumors have pointed to 14- and 16-inch MacBook Pro models with thinner bezels and a flat-rimmed design that doesn’t deviate too much from the current design.

The new MacBook Pro models will find the ports that were missing since 2016, including an SD card slot and an HDMI port, which will join the headphone jack and USB-C ports.

Apple is making a return to MagSafe, and newer MacBook Pro models will use “MagSafe” ports for charging rather than a USB-C cable. Prior to 2016, MacBook Pro models used a quick-release ‌MagSafe‌ cable that prevented damage to the computer when the cord was pulled. ‌MagSafe‌ technology could bring faster charging speeds than those available with USB-C, but the specific details are not yet known.

In addition to reintroducing ports, MacBook Pro models are expected to do away with the touch bar used since 2016. Instead, Apple plans to replace the touch bar with a standard row of function keys.

Mini-LED display technology is one possibility, and the new MacBook Pro models could be the first Macs to acquire a mini-LED, which was introduced in the 2021 iPad Pro models. ‌Mini-LED‌ technology will allow thinner and lighter design, while providing many OLED-like advantages such as improved wide color gamut, high contrast and dynamic range, and truer blacks.

Rumors suggest that MacBook Pro models will be equipped with a faster and more powerful “M1X” chip that builds on technology introduced with the M1. The M1X could feature a 10-core processor with eight high-performance cores and two power-efficient cores, as well as 16- or 32-core GPU options.

Newer MacBook Pro models are expected to support up to 64GB of RAM, and both may have feature parity due to Apple’s plans to use the same M1X chip for both 14 and 16-inch sizes.

Mac mini M1X

Apple is working on a high-end version of the Mac mini that features a redesigned design and Bloomberg‘s Mark Gurman said in August that a new mini would arrive in “the next few months.”

Since the machine is expected to use the same M1X chip introduced in MacBook Pro models, we could see it before the end of the year.

The high-end Mac mini is set to replace the Intel ‌Mac mini‌ Apple still sells, and it will likely be offered alongside the M1‌ ‌Mac mini‌ introduced last year.

AirPod 3

Rumors have suggested the AirPods 3 are set to launch, and we expected to see them at Apple’s event in September given their connection to iPhones and the Apple Watch.

That didn’t happen, so if AirPods still arrive before the end of 2021, we might see them showcased at Apple’s second fall event.

The ‌AirPods‌ 3 are expected to feature a design closer to the ‌AirPods‌ Pro with shorter stems and a redesigned charging case, but they will continue to be available at a more affordable price and will not have high-end features like active deletion. noise. .

Revelation of the mixed reality headset?

Back in March, BloombergMark Gurman said Apple will announce a mixed reality headset at an event “in the coming months.” Gurman said Apple doesn’t want to announce a new product like the headset at an online event and will aim for an in-person event, but that won’t happen in 2021.

We haven’t heard anything else about the launch of a mixed reality headset this year, so it’s possible that Apple decided not to reveal the product until it can actually do so in person. .

There have been endless rumors about the AR / VR headset in the works, which is separate from the Apple glasses which are also in development. The latest rumors indicate that it will look like an Oculus Quest VR headset, but with a sleeker, lighter design. It will feature two high-resolution screens as well as multiple cameras to track hand, head and eye movements.

The headset will focus more on virtual reality than augmented reality, and it won’t work on its own – it will need to be connected to an iPhone for processing power.

Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo and sites like Information have indicated that Apple is aiming for a launch date of 2022, so we may not see an unveiling this year as Apple cannot host an event in person.

In the works but not yet to come

There are several other devices in development as well, but for the most part, launch rumors are slated for 2022 rather than 2021. The products below are coming, but we don’t expect them this year.

• Macbook Air – Rumor has it that it has a mini LED display, a new Apple silicon chip and several color options, the MacBook Air refresh is expected in 2022.
• ipad air – The next-gen iPad Air may feature an OLED display and Pro-level features like 5G connectivity, LiDAR, and new cameras and speakers, but that’s not expected to happen until 2022.
• AirPods Pro – Apple is working on a new version of the AirPods Pro with a rodless design and a new wireless chip, and these could arrive in 2022.
• iPhone SE – A new version of the iPhone SE is in development, and rumors are circulating for the first half of 2022. It is expected to feature the same general design, but with an updated chip and 5G connectivity.
• Bigger iMac – There’s another iMac in the works that has a bigger screen and a faster Apple silicon chip, but little is known about it and it’s not expected in 2021.
• Mac Pro – Apple is developing two versions of the Mac Pro, one of which will feature a redesigned and smaller chassis. The new ‌Mac Pro‌ models will feature premium Apple silicon chip options with 20 or 40 compute cores, consisting of 6 high-performance or 32 high-performance cores and four or eight high-efficiency cores. We don’t yet know when the new ‌Mac Pro‌ models will arrive.

Speculation on the date of the event

Apple hosted three events last year, one in September, one in October, and one in November. The split from last year was largely due to ‌iPhone‌ delays, which didn’t happen this year, so there might only be two fall events instead of three.

If there’s a second event, it could happen in October or November, but October is perhaps the most likely goal for Apple to prepare for the holiday sales. The last three October events that took place took place on the following dates: Thursday, October 27, 2016; Tuesday, October 30, 2018; and Tuesday, October 13, 2020.

The event date 2020 was perhaps an outlier due to Apple’s three event plan, so based on the previous two events, we might see an event in late October, maybe around the 26th. Apple wants to align with the 2020 event, however, October 12 is a strong possibility, and we can’t rule out October 19 or even dates in November.

This is all just speculation, and we don’t have any solid details yet on when the second event might happen, but it looks like there is one in the works. We should hear more from them in the coming weeks, which will allow us to clarify a possible event date and get more concrete information on the products we will see.