What to expect from Apple’s October conference: iPad Pro, M2 Mac and other new products are expected to be unveiled

IT House reported on September 12 that after releasing new iPhone 14 and Apple Watch products in September, Apple is expected to hold another launch event in October to focus on releasing new iPad and Mac models.

According to the rules of previous years, we are now about three weeks away from the October launch event, but judging from some previous revelations, we no longer know anything about some of the products that may appear at the launch event next month. For the October launch event, there are rumors that Apple is preparing to launch a new iPad Pro equipped with M2 chips, a redesigned entry-level iPad 10, and we may also see Apple launch several new Mac computers using M2 series chips, perhaps including some of the 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro, Mac mini, and/or Mac Pro products.

iPad Pro equipped with M2 chip

According to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, Apple plans to release a new iPad Pro model equipped with M2 chip and support MagSafe wireless charging in October. The possibility is more than 90%. It is expected that both the 11-inch and 12.9-inch iPad Pro will be iteratively updated, but the 11-inch version may still notThere is a Mini LED display.

According to Mac Otakara, the next generation iPad Pro model will adopt a similar appearance design to the current generation model, but will be equipped with "4pin connectors" at the top and bottom, which may replace the existing 3pin smart connector on the iPad Pro.

IT House learned that Apple last updated the iPad Pro in April 2021. The selling points include the M1 chip, Thunderbolt port, 5G support, 12.9-inch model mini LED display, and upgraded 12-megapixel front camera that supports the "Center Stage" function and so on.

Apple is expected to launch a redesigned entry-level iPad in October, equipped with a larger 10.5-inch display, a USB-C interface, a rear camera with a noticeable bump, and a flat body. In addition, it may also have an A14 Bionic chip and 5G support.

While the iPad 10 is expected to retain the Touch ID button, rumors suggest the device will no longer retain a headphone jack. Mac Otakara reports that the 10th-generation iPad will actually have an in-body designDesigned with a Touch ID button on the side, just like the latest iPad Air or iPad mini. The report also states that the FaceTime camera may be placed on the right bezel of the device to allow users to use it horizontally.

IT House reminds that Apple released the ninth-generation iPad in September 2021. The main selling points include a 10.2-inch display, A13 bionic chip, upgraded 12-megapixel front camera, support for character centering, original color display functions, and large-capacity storage.

At the end of August, Gurman revealed that Apple has been developing Mac mini, MacBook Pro and Mac Pro models based on M2 chips, adding that we "will likely see at least a pair of new machines in two months," which is consistent with rumors of an October launch event. However, he's not sure which of these Mac models will appear at a later date, only that they will.

As one of its first three Apple-powered Macs, Apple released the Mac mini with the M1 chip in November 2020. Gurman said that in two years, a new version of the Mac mini equipped with the M2 chip will also be available.

Currently Apple is still selling Intel processorsMac mini, but Gurman said it will be replaced by the M2 Pro model.

According to Gurman, Apple will use M2 Pro and M2 Max chips to arm its next-generation 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models. They are currently "in the development and testing stages" and are planned to be released "as early as this fall."

As has been the practice in recent years, some new products may be postponed due to supply chain or other factors.

While some believe the M2 Pro and M2 Max chips could be Apple's first 3nm chips, it's most likely to remain 5nm. Similar to the A16 chip in the iPhone 14 Pro series, the new M2 Pro/Max chip will also have certain performance improvements compared to the M1 Pro and M1 Max chips, and may also increase the core count.

After bringing Mac Studio at the March 2022 launch event, Apple revealed that a Mac Pro desktop equipped with a self-developed chip version would also arrive.

It is worth mentioning that Apple stated as early as 2020 that the Mac product lineThe transition from Intel processors to Apple silicon will take about two years to complete, so the new Mac Pro will inevitably be released in 2022, which is also the biggest highlight of the last conference of the year.

According to Gurman, the new Mac Pro will feature "M2 Ultra" and "M2 Extreme" chips, and it will likely be smaller, but it's unclear whether the desktop will have any major design changes compared to the Intel model released in December 2019.

The only thing that is certain is that the new Mac Pro will become the most powerful Mac ever. Regardless of whether the number of cores is doubled, the performance will definitely surpass the Mac Studio with the M1 Ultra chip.

Ming-Chi Kuo previously said that Apple plans to launch a new Apple TV with an "improved cost structure" in the second half of 2022, but it is unclear whether the device will be released during the October event or at another time.

Gurman said that the new Apple TV that Apple is developing is equipped with an A14 chip and 4GB of RAM. Compared with the previous generation (equipped with an A12 chip and 3GB of RAM),Apple TV 4K will bring enhanced performance.

The current version of Apple TV 4K was released in April 2021 and starts at $179 with 32GB of storage, while Apple TV HD is $149. By comparison, many streaming sticks from brands like Chromecast and Roku range from $25 to $100.

Apple has stated that iPadOS 16 and macOS Ventura will officially arrive in October. The exact release date may be announced at the event, and the above-mentioned new products are expected to be equipped with the new system for the first time.