We’ve already had an Apple September event and are currently looking forward to the iPhone 12 / HomePod mini event next week, but Bloomberg reports Apple won’t be stopping yet. In a story today on what to expect from next week’s event, Mark Gurman writes that the first Apple Silicon Macs will be announced at another Apple product launch event in November.
In line with Ming-Chi Kuo’s reporting from a while ago that the first ARM Mac would be a 13-inch MacBook Pro, Bloomberg says that the first Mac laptop with Apple Silicon “among other products” will be launched next month.
Whilst it is historically unprecedented for Apple to hold three media events in the space of three months, this year is different as everything is being done virtually due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Whilst crafting a meticulously produced livestream that is up to Apple’s standards of excellence is no easy task, the typical logistical hassles of inviting press on campus simply do not apply this year.
Earlier this year, Bloomberg said the first Apple ARM chips would feature a 12-core processor based on the A14X design. Apple’s upcoming Macs are expected to best the Intel equivalents in both performance and power efficiency, providing a faster CPU/GPU for Apple’s portables as well as longer battery life.
The rest of today’s Bloomberg report reiterates the general consensus of rumors; the October event will play host to the new iPhone 12 lineup and a smaller version of the HomePod speaker. Bloomberg says Apple could announce the new HomePod alongside AirPods Studio “as early as this month”. The publication does not give a release window for the AirTags trackers.
Jon Prosser today said that the AirTags launch has been delayed into the March 2021 timeframe, and will not feature at the October event.
In a sweeping report from Chinese social media leaker Kang, and corroborated by reliable Twitter leaker l0vetodream, the smaller HomePod will be called ‘HomePod mini’ and priced at $99 each, much lower than the current $299 price for the original HomePod (which originally launched at $349, but Apple dropped the price about a year later).
The Kang report also claimed that Apple will revive the MagSafe brand name with a set of wireless charger accessories designed for the iPhone 12. As far as the iPhone 12 is concerned, the report released a whole host of specs about the forthcoming phones, including pricing and release dates. The iPhone 12 mini will apparently cost $699, the 6.1-inch iPhone 12 comes in at $799, the iPhone 12 Pro will cost $999 and the iPhone 12 Pro Max will be sold starting at $1099.
Supposedly, all four new models will be unveiled at Tuesday’s event but the releases are going to be staggered. The iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 Pro will be available to preorder on October 16 and start shipping on October 23. The iPhone 12 mini will go up for preorder on November 6 and officially launch on November 13. The 6.7-inch iPhone 12 Pro Max will round out the launch with preorders on November 13 and a November 20th release.
