What to expect from Apple's upcoming Mac and iPad announcements

Another round of Apple devices is about to arrive. After launching the iPhone 16 lineup, new Apple Watches, and AirPods 4 in September, Apple appears to be preparing to unveil updated Macs and iPads sometime this month.

We expect a new round of chip updates, at least one redesign, and maybe one or two surprises in October (the good ones). Official announcements may come to us through a traditional event or a series of early morning press releases; Apple has taken both approaches in the past and no one knows for sure at this point. Regardless of how it happens, here's what we think we'll see in the updates and what might not make the cut.

Apple Intelligence will launch “this fall” in Compatible iPhones, iPads and Macsand the first performances will arrive in October. That means we should get an announcement soon.

First, we're looking forward to Apple's writing tools for rewriting, editing, and summarizing, plus a newly designed Siri, new Photos app features like Clean Up (similar to Google's Magic Eraser), and live transcriptions of phone calls. and voice notes. Other features like ChatGPT search integrations, Genmoji custom emojis, Image Playground generative art, and Visual Intelligence image search “are expected to roll out later this year and in the coming months,” according to Apple .

We first saw these features at WWDC 2024, but until now, you've had to install one of Apple's public or developer beta versions to experience them. For iPhone, the features will come to the 15 Pro/Pro Max and the entire iPhone 16 line. On iPads and Macs, Apple Intelligence will launch on models with M1 generation processors or newer.

Last year's October event focused heavily on the MacBook Pro line. The 14- and 16-inch models suffered chip knocks, and Apple introduced a new stripped-down 14-inch model that ultimately eliminated the Touch Bar. We'll likely see updates for all three with a jump to the M4 generation, but so far, there haven't been many rumors about any major design changes. But a chip upgrade is always welcome, especially if you're a bargain hunter looking to take advantage of some clearance sales on soon-to-be next-gen hardware.

We're expecting a big redesign of Apple's smallest desktop computer, probably to make it even smaller. In addition to including the new M4 and M4 Pro chips, the new Mac Mini is rumored to ditch its USB-A ports and be as small as an Apple TV streaming box. It would be the first major redesign of the Mini in about 14 years (more than The edge has even existed).

The current Mac Mini with M2 and M2 Pro chips has been with us since early 2023, so a new model seems timely. Some of us here are fans of the Mac Mini, in part because it offers a great value proposition for its performance, at least if you already have a monitor, keyboard, and mouse.

I'm excited to see what a refreshed Mini would look like and how much an M4 Pro model outperforms the current M2 Pro, but potentially having fewer ports gives me pause. It also seems unlikely that a smaller Mini would have the only thing I really wanted in mine: a speedy built-in SD card slot like the Mac Studio.

The iMac has been on autopilot since the machine received its colorful shine in 2021. If the October event brings changes to Apple's all-in-one computer, we'll likely see a bump from last year's M3 model to a new version. M4.

The highlight may be updated versions of Apple's Magic Mouse, Magic Trackpad, and Magic Keyboard that use USB-C instead of Lightning. They are among the last Apple devices still using the Lightning port, and they feel very out of place now that the iPhone has changed (and as the EU deadline to move to USB-C approaches).

I'm still hoping for a bigger iMac update at some point. Someone wake me up when we finally get the long-rumored 32-inch iMac or a resurrection of the iMac Pro.

If Apple has updated tablets in store, the model most in need of some changes is the iPad Mini. The current 8.3-inch iPad Mini came out in 2021 and runs the A15 Bionic processor that we first saw with the iPhone 13 generation. Maybe it's time for pilots around the world to rejoice as the smaller iPad moves forward towards an M series chip? Rumors suggest an update is coming – the question is whether the Mini moves up to the big leagues with the M4 or is relegated to the still-active M2 as the latest iPad Air. Either way, anything is better than what happened with the iPhone minis.

There are also rumors that Apple could update the base 10.9-inch iPad to a new 11th-generation model, but it's unclear if this update is planned for this month or early next year. The current 10th-generation model launched at a pricey $449, but Apple corrected course by cutting its starting price to $349 earlier this year. An 11th-generation model is likely to look very similar, although it could be an opportunity for Apple to clean up and update its messy accessory situation.

The M4 processor debuted five months ago in the latest iPad Pros, and as mentioned above, Apple is expected to announce that its latest chips will finally make the jump to most Macs in the coming weeks.

But will we see any M4 Max or M4 Ultra chips debut in the Mac Studio and Mac Pro updates? Those pro-oriented machines are still in the M2 Max and M2 Ultra, so they need an upgrade. But rumors about new models have been practically non-existent so far. Also, get new chips around the world complete A line of Macs all at once may be too remote a possibility: Apple has a history of spacing things out.