Apple still has a lot of new hardware to release before the end of 2024

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in iPad

Apple's iPhone 16 "Glowtime" event may be over, but there's still time left in the year for more product launches. Here's what Apple is expected to reveal before the end of 2024.

Assortment of Apple devices including iMacs, MacBook, iPads, and a Mac Mini on a colorful gradient background.
Apple's remaining potential launches for 2024



As usual for Apple's September special event, the company launched the iPhone 16 and a bunch of other products. However, it didn't manage to go through the entire product catalog during its 90-minute presentation.

The event showed off new iPhones, as well as updates to the AirPods and Apple Watch lines and heavy promotion of Apple Intelligence.

With Apple's Mac and iPad ranges left untouched for the event, this gives Apple an opportunity to bring out more products in the last three months of the year.

This is what you can expect in the last quarter of 2024 in terms of Apple product launches.

An October event



While the main focus is always on the September Apple Event, the fall promotional schedule usually involves two separate showcases. The first is in September, and will usually involve an iPhone update as well as some other connected products, as performed on September 9.

The second tends to be an event in October, again quite early in the month. There have been rare November events, including one year when all three months had an event, but October is the most likely option.

As for what will be in the October event, Apple practically fills it up with all product categories it failed to get to during the September event.

Since Apple didn't cover iPads nor Macs in its September launches, they're the prime candidates for the October version.

iPad and iPad mini



The iPad is often updated at the same time as iPhones, though not every time. With its last update in the fall of 2022, there's a strong possibility that an update will happen soon.

There haven't really been any rumors about the iPad, meaning there is little in the way to expect from an upgrade. What you can look forward to is a chip bump, with a view to running Apple Intelligence.

The iPad mini has been left alone for three years by Apple, making it long overdue for an update. For similar reasons to the iPad, you can at least expect a chip upgrade.

Other updates that could happen includes shifting the front camera to operate in a landscape orientation. As for the rear, it's probable that 12MP sensors will still be used, but the iPad mini could plausibly get a 48MP update to match the iPhone 16.

What is not expected is an OLED update for the iPad mini. Even so, Apple is probably going to fix the annoying jelly scrolling issue that the sixth-gen model suffered from.

Since Apple updated the iPad Air and iPad Pro earlier in 2024, a second update in the same year is very doubtful.

Mac mini



Of the rumored inbound Macs, the Mac mini is one of the top choices Apple could make. Last updated in January 2023, it has previously been among the first Macs to get new Apple Silicon updates.

Two Mac Mini computers, one in space gray and one in silver, showing top and back views with various ports.
Changes to the Mac mini's design are expected this time.



The rumor mill agrees that it is due soon, and possibly in a new smaller form factor. This would be a big change from its existing aluminum puck design and into sleeker territory.

An M4 Mac mini may not be the only model offered by Apple. Based on earlier iterations, an M4 Pro with a similar appearance could also be on the way.

iMac



While the 24-inch iMac was updated in November 2023 to use M3, there is the general belief that it could still get an update to M4. It's not quite a year into its M3 life, but it's close enough to be a possibility.

The 24-inch iMac could be joined by a bigger model.
The 24-inch iMac could be joined by a bigger model.



A chip update may not be the only iMac change in the works. The rumor mill has repeatedly discussed the possibility of a larger iMac, potentially using a 32-inch display, as an alternate size option.

MacBook Pro



The MacBook Pro is frequently updated to the latest chips, and the M4 should be no exception. After being updated to M3 in the fall of 2023, an M4 update in the fall of 2024 seems equally likely.

A MacBook Pro is placed on a wooden table, displaying a vivid screen with an Apple M4 logo. The background features blurred furniture and a TV.
The MacBook Pro has yet to move to M4.



Though rumors have raised the prospect of an M4 update, they have also lacked any details of changes that could also be made. If the quiet rumors are any indication, this could just be a spec-bump update for the 14-inch MacBook Pro and 16-inch MacBook Pro.

The unlikely options



While there are some strong candidates for an update, there are also quite a few holes in the iPad and Mac lineups that are not likely to happen. Some are due to release timing, and some due to rumors and forecasts of a later update.

The iPad Pro was updated to M4 earlier in 2024, meaning a fall update is unlikely unless Apple secretly wanted to produce iPads with an M4 Pro or M4 Max. Likewise, the iPad Air was shifted to M2 at the same time.

The rumor mill believes the MacBook Air won't get an update until the spring of 2025 at the earliest. Meanwhile the Mac Studio and Mac Pro are anticipated to be upgraded in late 2025 instead.

It's still entirely possible, albeit remotely, that Apple could introduce a New MacBook Air, Mac Studio, or Mac Pro in October, or before the end of 2024. The better bet is that it won't, and the 2025 launches for the Pro-grade desktops are more probable.



Read on AppleInsider

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Comments

  • Reply 1 of 23
    I would consider it new but more like updated. 
    watto_cobra
  • Reply 2 of 23
    nubusnubus Posts: 578member
    The remaining Lightning cabled devices will probably get upgrades within 6 weeks or at least be discontinued in EU. Keyboard, mouse, trackpad, 1st gen Pencil, and iPhone SE. The iPhone SE could be kept alive outside EU. Would be nice if Apple gave these units a proper update.
    pulseimagesdavebarnes
  • Reply 3 of 23
    mike1mike1 Posts: 3,412member
    I'm feeling that a new Apple TV is on the horizon, so I have been delaying buying another.
    dewmeScot1ramanpfaffwatto_cobra
  • Reply 4 of 23
    thttht Posts: 5,620member
    Wish they made an attempt at EVs and energy solutions. They should have tried the EV starting sometime in 2023 or 2024. There is a window for it now. As for energy solutions, blue sky. They are not products that can sit on a table in a retail Apple Store, but the market is huge.

    A set of solar panels, a battery and a switch box suitable for an apartment would be an interesting product. An EV moped with interchangeable batteries would have a big market, just not in the USA. Just a big horizon of products that can be done.

    But yes, I think it is time to replace the 2013 iMac. Mac mini with M4 and 32 GB of RAM. Have to wait for stackable accessories if it has a new form factor. Hopefully the footprint isn't smaller than a 3.5" hard drive.
    Alex1Nwatto_cobra
  • Reply 5 of 23
    mike1 said:
    I'm feeling that a new Apple TV is on the horizon, so I have been delaying buying another.
    My guess... emphasis on guess... is that it's at least a year away. Why? In terms of the television hardware part of it, there's nothing in need of updating. All current video/audio standards for streaming are handled beautifully. Current OS is as snappy as you could want it to be. The only thing on the horizon is 8K, and when you consider that a lot of streaming is STILL being watched in HD, not even 4K, thanks to premium fees often charged for 4K, who knows how long it will take for consumers to care about 8K? (Amazon just downgraded its free, ad-supported tier of Prime Video from 4K to HD.) As for gaming, I really thought Apple Arcade was going to be a big thing, but it has never risen above meh, and Apple seems content to let it stay there. So no new hardware needed on that front. The one new feature that could be a big deal, no surprise, would be AI augmentation of how a user interacts with the Apple TV box. A lot of very cool stuff could probably be done. However, Apple's AI dance card seems pretty full for the next year getting AI features rolled out to iPhone, iPad and the Mac. I don't think for a second that Apple TV is a priority, and that's why I believe it will take a while to get there. 
    Fidonet127VictorMortimermuthuk_vanalingamdewmewatto_cobra
  • Reply 6 of 23
    Why show that stupid concept Mac mini with that idiotic proprietary power connection when they've (fortunately) apparently committed to keeping the internal power supply?
    edited September 13 rezwits
  • Reply 7 of 23
    charlesn said:
    mike1 said:
    I'm feeling that a new Apple TV is on the horizon, so I have been delaying buying another.
    The one new feature that could be a big deal, no surprise, would be AI augmentation
    How about AVP integration? I would like others to be able to see what I'm seeing on my AVP.
    watto_cobra
  • Reply 8 of 23
    Will the updates be as boring as the Glowtime event?  
  • Reply 9 of 23
    The current apple lineup does seem a bit… stale? 

    The SOC part of things is red hot and it’s exciting there. But the absence of a true iMac is sorely felt. 

    A Big Mac mini and monitor is ok but doesn’t compare. And the little iMac with the power supply that plops on the floor is kinda lame. 

    Mac Pro? Not exciting until they put an SOC in it that blows out the studio. 

    iPhone? Seems pretty same-ish. But nice enough I’m thinking about the upgrade. Certainly nothing else compares right now.  iPad? Haven’t felt a reason to upgrade since the original Pro. Though it’s pretty old now and will likely upgrade in a year (stil runs like new snd holds quite a long charge). A subscription-only model for video editing sure isn’t speeding up that process. 

    A big screen MacBook Pro would be exciting. Especially if they figured a way to pack an ultra SOC (even if we have to wait for 2nm m5). 

    A big iMac with the power supply where it belongs and available max and ultra SOCs would be killer. Especially if the screen was edge to edge with no chin. 


    muthuk_vanalingamwatto_cobra
  • Reply 10 of 23
    This year feels like year of the pivot for Apple on many fronts. It is ok, Apple is still awesome.

    They were caught napping on GenAI and it feels like many products have been compliance refreshed rather than massively updated. Apple are exceptional at what they do and thus my conclusion is that they have mind-blowing stuff cooking in the kitchen that are not quite finished as they had to do some internal 180 degree turns lately.

    M3 -> M4 feels like poorly planned transition as a result of AI pivot. 

    All in all it is a good thing. Apple have realigned. Also they have likely devoted substantial energy on meaningful innovation in health tech like the hearing aid and hearing test. I for one highly appreciate these innovations. They cannot be easy to pull off and likely have pulled resources from other areas.

    I wish AirPods Max would have been a block buster update. It was a compliance update to ensure continuing sales in the EU. Here is waiting for the H3 chip and to see what their AI wizards can cook up for Audio.

    I am in the market for a new Apple TV, updated HomePods and HomePod minis (have 1 and 2 and many minis), M4+ iMac and a either a new MacBook Pro or I may just go for a Mac Studio. Oh and also a properly updated Apple Watch Ultra please. Oh and iPads.

    I look forward to making all devices in the family be Apple Intelligence ready. Let's do it.
    Scot1watto_cobra
  • Reply 11 of 23
    My wishlist:

    An iMac with a larger screen, 27" would do just fine.

    A smaller iPhone, like the 13 or 12 mini with a Touch ID button on the side as well as Face ID. And an option to turn off the computational photography.

    A new AirPort line up - including a Time Capsule.

    A new ergonomic mouse bringing back a roller ball on top (but with new technology preventing dust interfering with it) or maybe a wheel.

    Yeah, some of their older stuff in new and refined versions.




    Scot1pulseimageswatto_cobra
  • Reply 12 of 23
    I’ve been waiting on an upgraded iPad Mini. Ready to buy today. Also, I hope Apple puts a 48mp camera in the iPad Pro. It would really help to see a bigger screen (iPad Pro) while recording scenes instead of having to use my phone camera and other items to view recordings on larger screen than my phones small screen.
    watto_cobra
  • Reply 13 of 23
    gwmacgwmac Posts: 1,811member
    When Apple switched from Intel to Apple Silicon I was hoping that would mean more frequent product updates. But at least when it comes to the Mac Studio, Mini, and Pro it is as slow as ever is not even slower. I am desperate to buy a new Studio but I refuse to buy one with a M2 that was released so long ago. I'm sure Apple has their reasons, but from a consumer POV it's very frustrating waiting so long for product refreshes on some models while others get yearly updates.
    pulseimages9secondkox2watto_cobra
  • Reply 14 of 23
    nubus said:
    The remaining Lightning cabled devices will probably get upgrades...Would be nice if Apple gave these units a proper update.
    Instant easy revenue for Apple.
    I would buy 2 keyboards and a mouse. Would not even look at the prices. Just click and buy.
    watto_cobra
  • Reply 15 of 23
    This year feels like year of the pivot for Apple on many fronts. It is ok, Apple is still awesome.

    They were caught napping on GenAI and it feels like many products have been compliance refreshed rather than massively updated. Apple are exceptional at what they do and thus my conclusion is that they have mind-blowing stuff cooking in the kitchen that are not quite finished as they had to do some internal 180 degree turns lately.

    M3 -> M4 feels like poorly planned transition as a result of AI pivot. 

    All in all it is a good thing. Apple have realigned. Also they have likely devoted substantial energy on meaningful innovation in health tech like the hearing aid and hearing test. I for one highly appreciate these innovations. They cannot be easy to pull off and likely have pulled resources from other areas.

    I wish AirPods Max would have been a block buster update. It was a compliance update to ensure continuing sales in the EU. Here is waiting for the H3 chip and to see what their AI wizards can cook up for Audio.

    I am in the market for a new Apple TV, updated HomePods and HomePod minis (have 1 and 2 and many minis), M4+ iMac and a either a new MacBook Pro or I may just go for a Mac Studio. Oh and also a properly updated Apple Watch Ultra please. Oh and iPads.

    I look forward to making all devices in the family be Apple Intelligence ready. Let's do it.
    LOL. Apple never sleeps. 

    They didn’t jump on the new fad because it was as Jobs once said about blu-ray licensing - “a bag of hurt.” There was no way to win. If they did what everyone else was doing, they’d be lambasted as thieves stealing from creators - as everyone else including Adobe hss done. 

    Instead, Apple does what they’ve ALWAYS done. Watched and studied. Then came out with something better, ethical, actually works as advertised, and isn’t some sham. 

    Apple will do what needs to be done when it needs to done. And some things aren’t worth doing if they violate everything you stand for. 

    Apple spent money on ai training whereas Google, Adobe, openai etc. just straight ripped the content creators. . 
    thtAlex_V
  • Reply 16 of 23
    opinion said:
    My wishlist:

    An iMac with a larger screen, 27" would do just fine.

    A smaller iPhone, like the 13 or 12 mini with a Touch ID button on the side as well as Face ID. And an option to turn off the computational photography.

    A new AirPort line up - including a Time Capsule.

    A new ergonomic mouse bringing back a roller ball on top (but with new technology preventing dust interfering with it) or maybe a wheel.

    Yeah, some of their older stuff in new and refined versions.




    Agreed on everything except the mouse. The current apple mouse essentially IS exactly what you asked for. It’s very ergonomic, accurate, fast, and has scroll ball (in all directions) functionally via touch, so no dust, etc. interferes with the scroll feature. 

    Really miss Touch ID, can’t wait for a big, true iMac, and a smaller phone makes sense for many (though I prefer the big screen phones). 
    opinionwatto_cobra
  • Reply 17 of 23
    YP101YP101 Posts: 172member
    27' iMac might never launch. Apple choose 24' has the reason. These days more people choose laptop then stationary desktop. So why Apple want to launch that?
    They already have 3 stationary desktop computers. If you include Mac tower then it will be 4.
    Laptop side Air has 2 models. Pro has 2 as well base on screen size. Apple launch bigger screen Air was they know more people order laptop then desktop.
    Some people wanted iPhone mini but sales shows not that many people want it. Same goes to stationary desktop. You can take your laptop, tablet to go anywhere doing stuff with it but desktop stay at home. Why Apple want to increase desktop sku?

    New Mini might be still able to include power internally like Mac Studio. Since Mac mini has no internal component to upgrade by user, they can seal that up.
    So Mac mini may be smaller footprint but it will be taller. Stack power board and main board like Studio. And then instead dual fan, mini will have single fan.


    watto_cobra
  • Reply 18 of 23
    9secondkox2 said:Agreed on everything except the mouse. The current apple mouse essentially IS exactly what you asked for. It’s very ergonomic, accurate, fast, and has scroll ball (in all directions) functionally via touch, so no dust, etc. interferes with the scroll feature. 

    Yeah, kind of but I find it too flat, a bit more curve for the palm of the hand would be good and the scrolling on it makes my pointer finger hurt. And sometimes when for some reason it was rotated, which is a bit hard to see until you use it and the cursor is upside down, it was annoying.
    watto_cobra
  • Reply 19 of 23
    opinion said:
    My wishlist:

    An iMac with a larger screen, 27" would do just fine.

    A smaller iPhone, like the 13 or 12 mini with a Touch ID button on the side as well as Face ID. And an option to turn off the computational photography.

    A new AirPort line up - including a Time Capsule.

    A new ergonomic mouse bringing back a roller ball on top (but with new technology preventing dust interfering with it) or maybe a wheel.

    Yeah, some of their older stuff in new and refined versions.




    I agree on a smaller iPhone.   I have used an iPod with MagicJack for years to save thousand$!  Perhaps the fact that I, and a unknown number of others,  have yet to buy an iPhone was an impetus for Apple to axe the beloved iPod but I’ll wait until they give us the option for smaller form.  The ‘ iPhone Air’ sounds like the one for me!  PleaZe Apple! 
    opinionwatto_cobra
  • Reply 20 of 23
    I need to update one of Everything!
    But mostly my MacBook Pro which is long in the tooth. 

    I can’t even load the new software update (17.x) on my iPhone 11!

    watto_cobra
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