Apple October event to unveil more products: What is coming next

Apple still has one more event lined up before the year concludes. After holding its annual iPhone hardware event earlier this month, the company is now gearing up for another event next month, where it is expected to introduce the new M4 Macs.

In Short

• Apple plans October event for new hardware
• iPad Mini 7th generation likely to debut
• M4 Macs and MacBook Pros to be unveiled

After launching the iPhone 16 series, Watch Series 10 and AirPods 4 in September, Apple is eyeing another big event in October. The upcoming event is expected to reveal more hardware products. Along with new devices, the company might also unveil iOS 18.1 software. Well, yes we know all about the iOS 18 and Apple Intelligence features, but the October event could mark the entry of a stable version of iOS 18.1 and Apple AI for the public. Let's take a detailed look at what to expect from the October Apple event.

Apple Intelligence and iOS 18.1 features

Starting with the late comers, Apple Intelligence was supposed to arrive with the launch of the iPhone 16 series. However, it did not happen. Previously, Apple had showcased most of the Apple Intelligence features at WWDC 2024. As a part of iOS 18.1, iPadOS 18.1, and macOS Sequoia 15.1, Apple will ship its first wave of AI features to the masses. Capabilities will include an upgraded Siri with more glow (and smarts), more useful notifications with AI summaries, unwanted object removal in Photos, priority messages and summaries in Mail, tools to improve your writing, a special Focus mode called Reduce Interruptions, on-demand Memory movie generation, Safari webpage summaries and more.
These features will be just the start of an AI-heavy year ahead, as Apple seeks to infuse its products with powerful new capabilities.

But there is a higher possibility that October event will only release a limited number of Apple Intelligence features.

M4 Macs

At Apple's October event, the company is expected to introduce the new M4 Macs. Rumors suggest a redesigned M4 Mac mini might also be revealed, alongside a new M4 24-inch iMac. The M4 Macs are expected to launch in the last week of October, with shipments starting in early November.

M4 MacBook Pros

The popular MacBook Pro will be updated with the M4 chip, and Apple is set to offer three versions: the base M4, M4 Pro, and M4 Max. These updates will apply to all three current MacBook Pro models, including the entry-level 14-inch and the premium 14- and 16-inch versions. While no significant design changes are expected, Apple may have additional surprises beyond the new chips.

iPad Mini 7th Generation

Along with the Mac updates, Apple may also refresh its iPad lineup. While the iPad Pro was already updated this year, the entry-level iPads and iPad Mini could see updates. The iPad 11th generation and iPad Mini 7th generation are likely to be unveiled at the event. According to Mark Gurman, Apple is working to reduce production costs for the entry-level iPads, though no major design changes are expected. However, the iPad 11th generation may come with a higher price tag and could be powered by either the A16 or A18 chip, with 128GB of base storage.

The iPad Mini, last updated in September 2021, introduced flat edges, USB-C, and Apple Pencil 2 compatibility. The upcoming 7th generation Mini is rumoured to feature the A18 chip and Apple Intelligence, bringing advanced features like Siri, Genmoji, and Image Playground. The starting price is expected to remain at $499, with storage potentially doubling to 128GB, offering more value without a price increase. In India, the price is projected to stay around Rs 45,900.