Apple’s poised to release a slew of new devices between this fall and the beginning of 2023, according to a report from Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman. What Gurman describes as a “deluge” of products will reportedly include four iPhone 14 devices, a set of new iPads, three Apple Watches, several M2 / M3-upgraded Macs, a pair of refreshed AirPods Pro buds, a new HomePod, and a spec-boosted Apple TV model.
Let’s break down these predictions.
Although Apple announced two new Macs with its flagship M2 processor at its Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) earlier this month, Gurman expects to find the chip — and its variations — in several other devices. This includes an M2 Mac mini, M2 Pro Mac mini, M2 Pro / M2 Max 14 and 16-inch MacBook Pros, as well as an M2 Ultra / M2 Extreme Mac Pro. Of course, there’s Apple’s long-rumored mixed reality headset, which is also expected to come with an M2 chip. If this isn’t overwhelming enough, Gurman says Apple’s M3 processor is already in the works, and will likely appear in the 13 and 15-inch MacBook Air laptops coming next year.
We already know that Apple is getting ready to launch the iPhone 14 this fall, and Gurman’s report offers a roundup of all the rumors floating around for the past year or so. For one, only the Pro and Pro Max models are reportedly set to receive the new and more powerful A16 chip, as well as support for always-on display. The iPhone 14 Pro models are also supposed to come with a 48-megapixel camera sensor, a new notch featuring a “pill-shaped cutout” for Face ID, and a hole-punch-style selfie camera. Gurman says the standard iPhone 14 will have the A15 chip that comes with the iPhone 13, with a 6.7-inch variation replacing the Mini model.
In terms of iPads, Gurman’s report indicates that Apple will launch M2-equipped 11-inch and 12.9-inch iPad Pro models later this year, in addition to a larger iPad between 14 and 15 inches coming in the “next year or two.” Gurman also backs up an earlier rumor from 9to5Mac, which suggests that a new entry-level iPad will come with an A14 chip, 5G, and USB-C connectivity.
Apple’s also expected to release three new Apple Watch models this fall: the standard Watch Series 8, a new SE, and a more “rugged” watch geared towards people into “extreme sports.” Gurman notes that while the S8 chip present in the upcoming Watch Series 8 will offer the same level of performance as the preceding S7 and S6 chips, the Watch coming next year will reportedly feature an upgraded processor. Gurman also expects Apple to discontinue the Series 3 this fall in favor of the new SE, which could also come with the S8 processor — a jump from the S5 chip that came with the 2020 SE model.
Apple didn’t have much to say about tvOS at WWDC, however, Gurman says the company is supposed to reveal a new Apple TV with an A14 chip and slightly more RAM this fall. This sets the device up for the “additional gaming capabilities” that we could see in tvOS 16, Gurman notes.
Apple’s also set to roll out an upgraded HomePod — but probably not until next year. According to Gurman, the upcoming HomePod will come with a similar size and level of performance as the original HomePod released in 2018. It’s expected to have an S8 chip, refreshed display, and potential support “multi-touch functionality.”
The AirPods Pro earbuds are due for an upgrade as well, with Gurman predicting a new chip and improved sound. Hopefully, this means support for lossless audio, which supply chain analyst Ming-Chi Kuo rumored earlier this year.
wazup.