Apple has teased an "exciting week of announcements" starting on Monday, and going on its teaser image, new Macs are sure to feature prominently. However, there are some hardware updates on Apple's roadmap that are unlikely to be a part of those announcements.
Below, we've recapped what not to expect from Apple's series of product announcements through the last week of October going into November.
M4 MacBook Air
Apple in March 2024 launched updated 13-inch and 15-inch MacBook Air models equipped with Apple's M3 chip, and the company will soon start production of M4 versions ahead of an early 2025 launch, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. There are no new design changes planned for the MacBook Air models, and the focus will be on the M4 chip. The machines will arrive next year between January and March.
M4 Mac Studio
Apple plans to refresh the Mac Studio after the M4 MacBook Air has been released in early 2025. It will be equipped with a variation of the M4 processor, which could be an M4 Ultra or Max chip. The current model comes in both M2 Max and M2 Ultra variants. Mark Gurman claims that the Mac Studio was on track to be updated alongside the MacBook Air, but it is now going to see a refresh between March and June. In previous reports, he said the Mac Studio would come out in mid-2025, so it is unclear what has changed.
M4 Mac Pro
Apple last updated the Mac Pro in June 2023, adding an M2 Ultra chip and officially completing the transition away from Intel chips. Apple will refresh the Mac Pro in the summer of 2025, according to Mark Gurman. Like the Mac Studio, the next Mac Pro will skip the M3 series. Instead it will be equipped with the highest-end version of the M4 chip, codenamed "Hidra." Based on the description of the chip, it could be positioned as an "Ultra" or "Extreme" chip. It could also support up to 512GB of memory, a notable increase over the current 192GB limit.
iPhone SE 4
Apple plans to release a new iPhone SE with Apple Intelligence support early next year, with a launch in March or April most likely, according to Mark Gurman. The fourth-generation iPhone SE is expected to have a similar design as the base iPhone 14, with rumored features including a 6.1-inch OLED display, Face ID, a newer A-series chip, a USB-C port, a single 48-megapixel rear camera, 8GB of RAM for Apple Intelligence support, and an Apple-designed 5G modem. Supply chain analyst Ming-Chi Kuo claims that Apple suppliers will begin mass production in December.
iPad
Apple has already updated the iPad Air and iPad Pro this year, and the company released the new iPad mini 7 earlier this month, which leaves the entry-level iPad as the most likely candidate next in line to receive an update. Don't expect an announcement next week though.
Apple's most affordable iPad model will receive an 11th-generation update with Apple Intelligence capabilities in late 2025, according to Mark Gurman. The timeline indicates a significant gap since the last refresh of the entry-level iPad, which occurred in October 2022. The delayed update could be attributed to the technical requirements of implementing AI capabilities in a budget-friendly $349 device.
AirPods Pro 3
Despite being released over two years ago, Apple's AirPods Pro 2 continue to dominate the wireless earbud market, but they aren't expected to see a refresh until next year, according to Gurman. The 2025 AirPods Pro will be updated with a new design and a faster chip, plus the earbuds will inherit Apple's upcoming new hearing health features.
Article Link: Apple Announces Announcements Next Week: What NOT to Expect
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