Each year, Apple typically holds three or four events to unveil new products. There's generally a spring event around March or April, the Worldwide Developers Conference in June, a September event focused on the iPhone and Apple Watch, and sometimes, an October event that usually includes Macs and iPads.
In this guide, we're tracking the Apple events that are on the horizon, including what we're expecting to see at each one. Make sure to check in regularly, because we'll be updating this guide on a regular basis.
February Vision Pro Launch
Apple in February launched the Vision Pro, its first new product of 2024. There was no launch event because it had already been introduced at WWDC last June, but Apple did market it through product videos and a press release. The Vision Pro is priced starting at $3,500, and as of right now, it is limited to the United States.
visionOS, the operating system that runs on the Vision Pro, also came out in February.
As an entirely new product, the Vision Pro has some cutting-edge technology and you can find all the details on the device in our Vision Pro roundup.
Surprise March MacBook Air Launch
In late 2023, there were rumors that Apple would hold a 2024 spring event to unveil new MacBook Air and iPad Pro models, but in late February, we got word that Apple had no plans for an event after all.
On March 4, Apple announced the new 13.6-inch and 15.3-inch MacBook Air models. There are few physical changes compared to the prior-generation MacBook Air models from 2022 and 2023, but both machines adopt the 3-nanometer M3 chip. The M3 is approximately 20 percent faster than the prior-generation M2 chip, and it has improved graphics capabilities such as hardware-accelerated ray tracing.
Other new additions include Wi-Fi 6E, a fingerprint-resistant coating for the Midnight color, and microphone improvements, with details available in our MacBook Air roundup.
May 7 iPad Event
Apple is planning to introduce new iPad Pro models and a new set of iPad Air models at an event set to be held on Tuesday, May 7.
OLED iPad Pro
Apple is working on redesigned iPad Pro models in ~11.1- and ~13-inch sizes, and a major update will include a new OLED display panel that will feature enhanced contrast for improved HDR, better colors, faster refresh rates, and greater power efficiency.
The iPad Pro models are expected to use Apple's M3 chip, and rumors suggest they'll be announced alongside an updated Magic Keyboard with an aluminum shell and a larger trackpad, plus a new Apple Pencil.
iPad Air
For the first time, Apple is planning to introduce two iPad Air models. One will measure in at 10.9 inches, which is the current size, and the second, larger model will come in at 12.9 inches, the size of the current iPad Pro. The iPad Air lineup will mirror the iPad Pro lineup, but it won't have ProMotion or OLED display technology in order to distinguish it from the more expensive iPad Pro. It's also not quite clear what chip the iPad Air will use, but the latest rumors point to the M2 rather than the M3.
WWDC in June
The Worldwide Developers Conference in June will see Apple unveiling iOS 18, iPadOS 18, tvOS 18, watchOS 11, macOS 15, HomePod Software 18, and visionOS 2. The updates will officially launch in September, but Apple previews them in June and begins seeding beta versions to testers to give Apple time to incorporate new features and refine them.
iOS 18
With iOS 18, Apple is introducing a new focus on artificial intelligence, specifically large language models that are similar to what's offered by companies like Google, Microsoft, and OpenAI.
Rumors suggest that Apple plans to integrate AI capabilities into a range of apps to give them more advanced functionality. In Apple Music, for example, Apple might add AI-generated playlists, and apps like Keynote and Pages could have AI-generated writing tools or slide creation options.
Siri will be smarter than before and could include deeper integration with the Shortcuts app, letting the personal assistant complete more complex tasks.
September iPhone Event
Apple's September event will include new flagship iPhone models and new Apple Watch models, plus it sometimes also includes updated AirPods. We've outlined some of what we're expecting below.
iPhone 16
The standard iPhone 16 models will get the Action button added to the iPhone 15 Pro, alongside a new Capture button that's designed to make it easy to capture videos when the iPhone is held in a horizontal orientation. We're also expecting an upgraded A-series chip that's branded as an A18 chip, plus a rear camera lens setup arranged in a vertical orientation rather than a diagonal orientation.
Aside from the new Capture and Action buttons and the camera tweak, the iPhone 16 models are expected to look identical to the iPhone 15 models. Full details on the iPhone 16 feature set can be found in our iPhone 16 roundup.
iPhone 16 Pro
As with the iPhone 16 models, the iPhone 16 Pro models will look like the prior-generation iPhone 15 Pro models, but we are going to get bigger screen sizes. The iPhone 16 Pro is expected to have a 6.3-inch display, up from 6.1 inches, and the iPhone 16 Pro Max is expected to have a 6.9-inch display, up from 6.7 inches.
The Pro models will feature the Capture button, a faster A-series chip, and an upgraded 48-megapixel Ultra Wide camera, plus the tetraprism 5x Telephoto lens introduced with the iPhone 15 Pro Max will be in both the iPhone 16 Pro Max and the smaller iPhone 16 Pro this time around.
More on what to expect from the iPhone 16 Pro can be found in our iPhone 16 Pro roundup.
Apple Watch X
In 2024, we're expecting the Apple Watch Series 10 or Apple Watch X, which will coincide with the 10th anniversary of the device if you're counting from when it was introduced in 2014 rather than when it launched in 2015.
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Article Link: Apple's 2024 Event Plans: New Products Coming in 2024
- Article Link
- https://www.macrumors.com/guide/apple-event/
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