Apple AAPL will host its second big hardware event of the fall on Monday. The virtual event, dubbed Unleashed, is expected to highlight new Mac products powered by custom ARM processors from Apple.
ET and broadcast from Apple s Cupertino, California headquarters, the event could see the unveiling of new MacBook Pros, new Mac Minis and possibly a new generation of AirPods.
The MacBook Pro line first got its taste of Intel s custom silicon in 2020 with the release of its 13 - inch MacBook Pro, but its 16 inch model is still powered by an Intel chip. The new Mac Pros are rumored to arrive in 14 and 16 inch models and receive Apple s M1 X chips, an upgrade over the last year s M 1 chip, according to Bloomberg.
The new chips, which reportedly packs 10 CPU cores and 16 or 32 GPU cores, will need to provide enough performance to match the power of Apple s existing MacBook Pro lineup, which creators like photo and video editors depend on as their workhorse machine.
According to Bloomberg, the new MacBook will likely bring back the HDMI port and SD card slot, two features that Apple dropped in its last generation MacBook Pros that left photo and video editors rather miffed, as they rely on such connections.
Außerdem, according to MacRumors, the Pros will stop Apple Touch Bar completely. Apple will put a standard row of keyboard keys in its place.
The new Mac mini is expected also to come with Apple s M1 X processor, making it a solid desktop replacement and workstation for both applications. Apple has previously released a version of the Mac mini with an M 1 chip alongside its first M 1-powered MacBooks in 2020, but this one is said to be designed for users who need strong performance.
Finally, Apple could release the third generation of AirPods. Rumors of a third generation version of AirPod have been floating around for some time now. They were originally expected to be announced during Apple's September iPhone event, but never showed up.
The new AirPods, Bloomberg reports, are said to feature a refined design similar to the AirPods Pro as well as a Pro-style charging case. Don t expect Apple to demonstrate any fancy new iPhones with any new health features. Those are, according to The Wall Street Journal, still in development.
When they come, if ever, they ll pack a thermometer to measure your inner ear temperature, a sensor to measure your posture, and the potential to function as hearing aids.
The Oct. 18 show follows Apple s September event that unveiled the iPhone 13 line and the Apple Watch Series 7 MacBook Proving Grounds. While initial reports indicate the iPhone 13 is selling well, Apple has also been affected by the ongoing chips shortage caused by the pandemic. So the company had to cut iPhone 13 orders by as many as 10 million units. Whether the shortage will affect MacBook sales remains to be seen.
The company s Mac product line has worked well throughout the pandemic as consumers bought laptops and desktops to work from home. For the fiscal 2020 Mac sales spiked from $25.7 to $28.6 billion in 2019, The Apple Mac profit from $28.6 billion. And just last quarter, Mac revenue from $7.0 billion was up to $8.2 billion by $8.0 billion.
None of Apple's rumored AirPods would be just its latest attempt to make you healthier.
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