Apple Could Launch New Macs, iPad Pro On Oct. 30
Apple has announced a second fall product event, scheduled for Oct. 30, which is expected to feature updates to the company's iPad and Mac lineups.
Apple passed over the chance to announce new iPads or Macs during its product event in September, instead dedicating the time to launching three new iPhones and a fourth-gen Apple Watch.
[Related: Apple Skips iPad Pro Update As Possible Surface Pro Launch Looms]
But a number of rumors have suggested Apple has a new iPad Pro in the works, making it a likely product introduction at the Oct. 30 event in Brooklyn, N.Y.
Reports have said that Apple plans to unveil an 11-inch iPad Pro—presumably taking the place of the existing 10.5-inch iPad Pro—alongside an upgraded 12.9-inch iPad Pro.
The biggest changes for the iPad Pro could include a switch from Touch ID fingerprint authentication to Face ID facial recognition for authentication—as well as the removal of the home button, which is no longer required for fingerprint log-in. The new iPad Pro would thus introduce the types of navigation gestures used on the iPhone X and iPhone XS, according to some reports.
Meanwhile, a new Mac notebook has been expected to launch this fall and take the place of the MacBook Air, along with expected updates to the iMac and Mac Mini, according to Ming-Chi Kuo of TF International Securities, who's had a strong track record on Apple product predictions. Those new Macs are also good bets for the Oct. 30 event.
Jerry Zigmont, owner of MacWorks, a Madison, Conn.-based Apple consultant, previously told CRN that a number of Macs are "in desperate need of a refresh."
At the top of Zigmont's list for updates this fall are the iMac and a new MacBook Air-type notebook, both of which are in high demand among his company's customers in education and small business.
Apple released a minor processor update to the MacBook Air in June 2017, but the laptop has stayed mostly unchanged for years. The iMac was last updated at the same time, with updated processors and improved storage and display.
As for the Mac Mini—Apple's low-priced, compact-sized desktop—it was last updated in October 2014.