Apple’s annual iPhone event is over, and it resulted in some significant announcements, including the entire line of iPhone 14 devices, the new Apple Watch Ultra, and the second-gen AirPods Pro.
Outside the interesting new features of the iPhone 14 Pro, the iPhone 14 event was fairly low on surprises. That may have left some people disappointed, especially if they were hoping for a specific product to get announced. But don’t worry, there’s still an Apple event rumored for later this year that could include many of the product left on the cutting-room floor.
iPad (10th-gen)
The one device that was most expected to launch at the event that was a no-show? A new iPad. Rumors say Apple has an update ready for its cheapest iPad, which would be in its 10th-gen generation. The 10th-gen model is expected to get a small design revamp, along with rumors pointing toward a bump to the A14 Bionic chip and include support for 5G connectivity on the cellular models.
Most important, this new iPad is said to finally replace the Lightning port for a USB-C port. The 9th-gen iPad is currently the only iPad to stick with the Lightning port.
Because this new iPad didn’t make an appearance at today’s event, we must assume it’s destined for either a later event this year or an early 2023 product launch.
MacBook Pro 14-inch, 16-inch
This was not a Mac event, so we should not have been surprised to see a lack of laptops announced. Still, there’s a lot of anticipation around an update to the MacBook Pro 14-inch and 16-inch. Apple’s most powerful laptops, these were a major comeback for the brand when they launched in 2021 to highly positive reviews. The M1 Pro and M1 Max were surprisingly powerful, and the design brought back favorite features such as more ports and a function row of keys.
The sequel won’t be a dramatic redesign, but rumors are pointing to the M2 Pro and M2 Max making an appearance to bolster performance. We expect these new MacBook Pros to still come out later this year, but likely at a Mac-focused event in October or November.
iPad Pro
The iPad Pro sits in a similar space as the MacBook Pro. There was no room for it at the iPhone 14 event, but a smaller update is still waiting in the wings. Some are expecting the iPad Pro to get updated to the M2 chip, which already launched in both the MacBook Air and the 13-inch MacBook Pro. The only other likely change is to the Smart Connector, which is rumored to change from a three-pin connector to a four-pin.
Lastly, there’s a chance we could see the notch come to the iPad Pro to match the rest of the Apple lineup. If this rumored iPad Pro update is coming in 2022, it’ll likely make an appearance at an event later this year.
Mac Pro and Pro Display XDR
Apple promised the Mac Pro would come in 2022 as the final Mac product to get bumped to Apple Silicon, completing the two-year transition away from Intel and AMD that started in 2020. The Mac Pro was even mentioned by name at Apple’s spring event this year. So, while it wasn’t announced at the iPhone 14 event, you can almost guarantee that it will make a showing later this year.
The design of the product isn’t rumored to change all that much, but the update to some kind of Apple Silicon-based chip is eagerly anticipated. The M2 Extreme chip, as it has been named by commentators, would be the culmination of Apple’s engineering and represent the most powerful version of these chips the company has ever made.
The Pro Display XDR is on shakier ground, but it would be an obvious companion to the Mac Pro. The high-end display was announced alongside this version of the Mac Pro in 2019 as a pioneer of what Apple could do with its XDR displays. As amazing as it is, the monitor is overdue for an update, especially with the launch of the Apple Pro Display earlier this year.
Reality headset
Apple’s mixed-reality headset has been in the works for years now, but we’re finally moving closer to a launch. It may not have made an appearance at the iPhone 14 event, but there’s still a chance we could see a preview of the product later this year alongside iPads and Macs.
The reality headset is rumored to support both AR and VR, but will likely need a longer runway to get developers on board. So, while an actual launch in 2022 seems nearly impossible, we’re still hoping for a preview of the product before the end of the year.
HomePod 2
A HomePod has been rumored ever since the launch of the initial product back in 2018. It’s been in limbo ever since the arrival pf HomePod mini, which sports many of the same features in a smaller form factor. But as one of the only products to include support for Apple’s new spatial audio with Dolby Atmos feature, rumors of its sequel been rampant.
This new HomePod 2 is even rumored to include features like an updated display on top, multi-touch functionality, and a faster S8 chip, which has been used in the Apple Watch. Whether or not the HomePod 2 is coming later this year is up in the air, especially with how many products Apple reportedly still has to announce in 2022.
iMac Pro
No one expected Apple to launch an iMac Pro at the iPhone 14 event, but it’s one of the last products we expect Apple to eventually transition to Apple Silicon. Technically, the iMac Pro was discontinued, but for a long time, Apple was still selling an Intel-powered 27-inch iMac. This larger iMac is what we expect Apple to eventually replace, perhaps featuring an M2 Pro or M2 Max, in 2023.
For what it’s worth, since Apple has begun the move to M2, we expect the 24-inch iMac to get a bump to the M2 sometime in 2023 as well.
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