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What's Still Coming in 2021 at Apple's Second Fall Event
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While I empathize with the sentiment, we also need to realize: this is a rumors site. About Apple products. Many of them will turn out not to be true. And figuring out which rumors are true or not is part of the fun.
If you want hard and confirmed news about Apple products, you have to wait for the Wall Street Journal articles ?
What’s the difference between an M1X and an M2? Trick question: neither publicly exists, and both are just arbitrary names Apple could assign to their next Mac SoC.
Bring on that 30 inch iMac already!![]()
Apple held its "California Streaming" event yesterday to unveil new iPads, the iPhone 13 lineup, and the Apple Watch Series 7, but we're not yet done with new products for the year.
![16-inch-macbook-pro-m2-render.jpg]()
We're expecting a second fall event to be held in either October or November, and this event will likely focus on Macs. Below, we've highlighted the products that are still rumored to be launching before the end of 2021.
14 and 16-inch MacBook Pro Models
We're overdue for a 16-inch MacBook Pro refresh, and rumors suggest that it's coming soon. Multiple rumors have pointed towards 14 and 16-inch MacBook Pro models with slimmer bezels and a flat-edged design that's not too much of a departure from the current design.
The new MacBook Pro models will regain ports that have been missing since 2016, including an SD card slot and an HDMI port, which will join the headphone jack and USB-C ports.
![Ports-2021-MacBook-Pro-Mockup-Feature-1-copy.jpg]()
Apple is making a return to MagSafe, and the new MacBook Pro models will use MagSafe ports for charging rather than a USB-C cable. Prior to 2016, MacBook Pro models used a quick-release MagSafe cable that prevented damage to the computer when the cord was yanked. MagSafe technology could bring faster charging speeds than are available with USB-C, but specific details aren't known yet.
In addition to reintroducing ports, the MacBook Pro models are expected to do away with the Touch Bar that's been used since 2016. Instead, Apple plans to replace the Touch Bar with a standard row of function keys.
Mini-LED display technology is a possibility, and the new MacBook Pro models may be the first Macs to gain mini-LED, which was introduced in the 2021 iPad Pro models. Mini-LED technology will allow for a thinner and lighter design, while offering many OLED-like benefits such as improved wide color gamut, high contrast and dynamic range, and truer blacks.
Rumors suggest the MacBook Pro models will be equipped with a faster and more powerful "M1X" chip that builds on the technology introduced with the M1. The M1X could feature a 10-core CPU with eight high-performance cores and two energy-efficient cores, along with 16-core or 32-core GPU options.
The new MacBook Pro models are expected to support up to 64GB RAM, and both may have feature parity due to Apple's plans to use the same M1X chip for the 14 and 16-inch sizes.
M1X Mac Mini
Apple is working on a high-end version of the Mac mini that features a revamped design, and Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said in August that a new mini would come in the "next several months."
![m1x-mac-mini-screen-feature.jpg]()
Because the machine is expected to use the same M1X chip that's being introduced in the MacBook Pro models, we may see it before the end of the year.
The high-end Mac mini is expected to replace the Intel Mac mini that Apple is still selling, and it will likely be offered alongside the M1 Mac mini introduced last year.
AirPods 3
Rumors have suggested that AirPods 3 are ready to launch, and we were expecting to see them at Apple's September event given their link to iPhones and the Apple Watch.
![AirPods-Gen-3-Feature.jpg]()
That didn't happen, so if AirPods are still coming before the end of 2021, we could see them introduced at Apple's second fall event.
The AirPods 3 are expected to feature a more AirPods Pro-like design with shorter stems and a redesigned charging case, but they'll continue to be available at a more affordable price point and won't have high-end features like Active Noise Cancellation.
Mixed Reality Headset Reveal?
Back in March, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said that Apple would announce a mixed-reality headset at an event "in the next several months." Gurman said that Apple did not want to announce a new product like the headset at an online event and would aim for an in-person event, but that's not going to happen in 2021.
![apple-mixed-reality-headset-mockup-feature-orange.jpg]()
We haven't heard anything else about a mixed-reality headset being debuted this year, so it's possible that Apple has decided to hold off on unveiling the product until it can indeed do so in person.
There have been endless rumors about the AR/VR headset that's in the works, which is distinct from the Apple Glasses that are also in development. The latest rumors indicate that it will look similar to an Oculus Quest VR headset, but with a sleeker, more lightweight design. It will feature two high-resolution displays along with several cameras for tracking hand, head, and eye movement.
The headset will focus more on virtual reality than augmented reality, and it will not work on its own - it will need to tether to an iPhone for processing power.
Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo and sites like The Information have indicated that Apple is aiming for a 2022 launch date, so we may not see an unveiling this year since Apple can't hold an in-person event.
In the Works But Not Coming Yet
There are also several other devices that are in development, but for the most part, launches are rumored for 2022 rather than 2021. The products below are coming, but we're not expecting them this year.
Event Date Speculation
- MacBook Air - Rumored to have a mini-LED display, a new Apple silicon chip, and multiple color options, the MacBook Air refresh is expected in 2022.
- iPad Air - The next-generation iPad Air may feature an OLED display and Pro-level features like 5G connectivity, LiDAR, and new cameras and speakers, but it's not rumored to be coming until 2022.
- AirPods Pro - Apple is working on a new version of the AirPods Pro with a stemless design and a new wireless chip, and these could come in 2022.
- iPhone SE - There's a new version of the iPhone SE in development, and it's rumored for the first half of 2022. It's expected to feature the same general design, but with an updated chip and 5G connectivity.
- Larger iMac - There's another iMac in the works that has a larger display and a faster Apple silicon chip, but little is known about it and it's not expected in 2021.
- Mac Pro - Apple is developing two versions of the Mac Pro, one of which will feature a redesigned chassis that's smaller in size. The new Mac Pro models will feature high-end Apple silicon chip options with 20 or 40 computing cores, made up of 6 high-performance or 32 high-performance cores and four or eight high-efficiency cores. We don't yet know when the new Mac Pro models are coming.
Apple last year held three events, one in September, one in October, and one in November. The split last year was largely due to iPhone delays, which didn't happen this year, so there may only be two fall events rather than three.
If there's a second event, it could happen in October or November, but October is perhaps the more likely target to allow Apple to prepare for holiday sales. The last three October events that have happened have been held on the following dates: Thursday, October 27, 2016; Tuesday, October 30, 2018; and Tuesday, October 13, 2020.
The 2020 event date may have been an outlier due to Apple's three event plan, so based on the two prior events, we could see a late October event, perhaps right around the 26th. If Apple wants to line up with the 2020 event, though, October 12 is a strong possibility, and we can't rule out October 19th or even dates in November.
This is all just speculation, and we have no solid details yet on when the second event might happen, but there definitely appears to be one in the works. We should be hearing more in the coming weeks, allowing us to narrow down a possible event date and get more concrete information on the products that we'll see.
Article Link: What's Still Coming in 2021 at Apple's Second Fall Event
iMac not available until 2022? Apple is dead to me until then.
I'm not expecting ANY Mac Pro until 2023 at the earliest, but more realistically 2025. Kind of surprised to see the 20 core model will have only 6 high-performance cores where the 40 core unit gets 32.
Actually, the M1X Mini hooked up to something like a Huawei MateView (plus whatever second display I have knocking around and/or my old iMac if something like Luna Display or Duet Display works... ) is sounding awfully good right now (other 3rd party displays are available if you don't like the idea of 3:2) - I'm done with the idea of having my computer welded into a display.
This is pretty much what I figured; usually in the autumn Mac-related announcements come in October or November. And with that M1X Mac Mini, I just may order one next year to replace my 2012 quad-core i7 Mac Mini. That is, unless at this event Apple announces an M1X Mac Pro Cube 
I have moved towards a pessimistic outlook on the upcoming Apple products after the recent event, minus the iPad Mini, which I think is a great update. I have been overly optimistic/excited the last 3-4 years (mostly towards the Pro side of the Mac lineup , only to be stuck in a waiting loop), and I have a sneaky suspicion that supply chain shortages have caught up with Apple, and they are extending the initial M1s for at least another 6-8 months of vanilla updates. I'm hoping the recent offerings have been limited in imagination because they are focusing on the Mac lineup. I have been holding out on proper Mac items to upgrade to for a very long time. No more incremental Pro updates. I want a massive drop of Pro tech from them, like the previous "Mac-focused" days when they still cared about the Macintosh line. I really want to be wrong. No hate, just hope. . . fingers crossed 🤞
Looking forward to the next Mini, I have had them since introduced and bought an base M1 the first week to see how it compared to my base 2018. For day to day use as an office computer no real improvement that I could see. I still think Safari is slow on both the Minis compared to Edge. I'm very disappointed in the HDMI wake issues with the M1 and can only hope they are resolved in the new release. That being said I have my CC ready for the next release.
Yes, I know it is, which is why I'm upgrading as my situation has changed. I used to have MacBook Pro's for years before I got the smaller MacBook.
HDMI isn't as useful as it once was and MagSafe has some cons vs USB-C.
My next Apple purchase is either going to be an M2 Mac Mini or a USB-C/Touch ID iPhone Mini. Whichever comes first.
I think Apple will deliver. They have stated their whole lineup will move to ARM by 2022 so it doesn't leave much time to finish updating all their models. If they were doing a minor update with a big M1X and little to no hardware changes then they could've done that last year. Yet they didn't and have released the mini-LED iPad which is likely to have the same display as the MacBook refresh.
The iPhone 13 was actually pretty much as expected minus WiFi 6E.
He was the one who suggested it was an HDMI port in the pic. The first pic had 2 usbC ports and one usbA ports. In neither the original pic or the corrected pic was there an HDMI port.
So he was in effect, suggesting I didn't know the difference.
I'm all for a bigger display, and 3:2 would work for me. I'd just prefer it to be 5K (and much cheaper than the current Apple display). So far I haven't seen any third-party step up to deliver it. Unfortunately the Mateview is not available in the US.
The names are not entirely arbitrary. Apple has already shown us a naming convention with the A12 and A12x, where the latter is a beefed up version of the former with more CPU cores and more GPU cores. this gives them a base level of performance and an enhanced level of performance.
It is a common product strategy to have 3 levels of performance and price. Good, Better, and Best. In Macs, that corresponds to Air, MBP, and Mac Pro (the iMac models can bridge between Better and Best).
Think of the M1 as a 4-cylinder engine with a carburetor. It is suitable for the Good product level but can’t quite fill in for the other two categories.
This of the M1x as a 6-cylinder engine with a carburetor. More power and Good for the Best category.
It seems likely that next year (maybe even in the first half) Apple will release an M2. This would be the base level chip with improvements suitable for the Good product lines, Air and low end iMac. Think of a 4-cylinder engine with fuel injection. Faster than the carburetor one but still with only 4 cylinders.
Then Apple could issue an M2x for the Better models like the 6-cylinder engine with fuel injection. This could go into next years MBP or iMacs.
finally, likely toward the end of next year, they would be ready to release their chip for the Best line, the Mac Pro (and maybe a version of the iMac?). This will have to be a signifigantly beefed up chip beyond the M2 and M2x. Think of this as the 12-cylinder engine with fuel injections and maybe a turbo-charger.
We won’t know the exact naming until Apple releases these new systems, but they will need to designate them for performance levels and for generations. Remember Good, Better and Best with updates each year or so. Based on their previous naming, the M2 is not just a bigger M1 but is another generation of chip for the same product lines.
In many ways, the A15 on the iPhone 13 Pro is a preview of the M2 SoC due early in 2022. It will have four high performance cores and four high-efficiency cores based on the A15 design, plus ten GPU cores. The result: somewhat higher CPU performance and higher GPU performance due to using 10 GPU cores instead of 8. And it may have a new memory controller to support up to 32 GB of RAM.
