Unsurprisingly, Apple is expected to hold another keynote in October to unveil new Macs and iPads, about a month after the iPhone 16. This would be the fourth time in five years that Apple has held an event in October. Last year, the virtual conference took place on October 30 to announce the latest MacBook Pro and M3 iMac models.
Two separate conferences
In the latest edition of his Sunday newsletter “Power On,” Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman reiterated that Apple plans to introduce the first Macs with M4 chips as well as new entry-level iPads at an event “in the coming weeks.” The MacBook Pro, iMac, and Mac mini will be the first to receive M4 chips this year, with the MacBook Air, Mac Studio, and Mac Pro expected to follow in 2025, he said. He also noted that some M4 Macs are already shipping from factories.
MacBook Pro M4
Apple is expected to unveil updated 14- and 16-inch MacBook Pro models with the M4, M4 Pro, and M4 Max chips. No major design changes are expected for this year’s models, with potential improvements like an OLED display and a thinner design not expected until 2026 or later. The last redesign of these laptops was in 2021, and the current models with the M3, M3 Pro, and M3 Max chips were launched last October.
iMac M4
The iMac is also expected to get an update with the M4 chip, according to Gurman. It remains to be seen whether the Magic Keyboard, Magic Mouse, and Magic Trackpad accessories for the iMac will switch from Lightning to USB-C this year.
Mac mini M4
Gurman predicts that the Mac mini will be refreshed with the M4 and M4 Pro chips. He previously mentioned that the Mac mini could get a redesign, becoming almost as compact as an Apple TV, and would lose its USB-A ports in the process.
iPad Mini 7
The seventh-generation iPad mini is also expected to be revealed. Rumored improvements include a faster chip, improved front and rear cameras, a fix for the “jerky scrolling” issue in portrait mode, support for Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth 5.3, and new color options. Supply chain analyst Ming-Chi Kuo has assured that the iPad mini will enter mass production in the second half of 2024, corroborating claims that an update is imminent. The current iPad mini 6 launched in September 2021, introducing an 8.3-inch display, a USB-C port, a Touch ID power button, the A15 Bionic chip, 5G support, and compatibility with the second Apple Pencil.
Entry-level iPad 11
Gurman mentioned that Apple would unveil “new entry-level iPads,” which suggests that an iPad 11 could also be unveiled at the event. Again, no notable changes aside from a more powerful chip. The 2022 iPad 10 was a complete overhaul with a full display and Touch ID moved to the power button.
