When the Apple September event wrapped up with iPhones, Apple Watches and an updated version the company’s wireless earbuds grabbing all the attention, many assumed an Apple October event was in the works. After all, Apple’s got entire computing and tablets businesses to manage, and those product lineups are crying out for new devices, too.
There’s just one problem now that we’re in October — there hasn’t been a peep from Apple about any such event. And more recent reports from reliable sources are saying an October event from Apple is a no-go. Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, for example, reported that it is “unlikely” we’ll see an event (opens in new tab), with Apple instead turning to press releases to herald any new arrivals in October.
And there should certainly be a lot to announce, if rumors about Apple’s product pipeline are to be believed. Even after a September that saw new iPhone 14 models, three new Apple Watches including the Apple Watch Series 8 and Apple Watch Ultra, and the AirPods Pro 2, we reckon there are plenty of Macs, iPads and software updates that need to see the light of day before holiday shopping picks up too much steam.
Here’s a quick look at what may be in the cards for Apple during October, which figures to be a very busy month for Apple, even without a standalone product event.
iPhone 14 Plus
We already know what one of the first products Apple will release this month is going to be, and we won’t have to wait very long to see it. The iPhone 14 Plus, announced alongside the rest of the iPhone 14 models, hits stores on Friday (October 7). You can preorder the phone now, taking advantage of some of the iPhone 14 deals to lower the cost of the $899 plus-sized handset. As of this writing, Apple estimates an iPhone delivery date between October 11 and 13, if you pre-order an iPhone 14 Plus.
The iPhone 14 Plus shares the 6.7-inch screen size as the iPhone 14 Pro Max, but otherwise offers the same feature set as the standard iPhone 14 model. That includes an A15 Bionic chipset, a main camera with a bigger sensor to let in more light than the iPhone 13 did and an improved front camera with autofocus and a wider aperture. Because the iPhone 14 Plus is bigger than the standard iPhone, we’d imagine that its battery is bigger, too. Hopefully that will help this final iPhone 14 model join the iPhone 14 Pro Max on the best phone battery life list.
MacBook Pro 14- and 16-inch with M2
The Apple M2 chipset, the next-generation version of Apple’s self-designed silicon, appeared earlier this year, when it debuted in the MacBook Air and 13-inch MacBook Pro. More M2-powered hardware is almost certainly on the way, and we expect Apple to usher in additional MacBook Pro options featuring this chipset.
More specifically, we might see Pro and Max variants of the M2 chip inside any new MacBook Pro models. The M2 chip itself is a 5-nanometer chip with an improved neural engine. The Max and Pro versions would feature more transistors while boosting the number of CPU and GPU cores.
Don’t expect significant hardware changes, at least not based on the rumors we’ve heard. But it’s possible that software improvements like Center Stage could on be on tap of Apple’s latest MacBook Pros.
M2 Mac mini
It’s been two years since the Mac Mini became one of the first Macs to run on Apple’s M1 chip. With the M2 now out, this monitor-less desktop Mac may be in line for a long-awaited upgrade.
The most likely scenario has the Mac Mini 2022 getting the new M2 chip and that being the extent of the upgrades. That said, earlier in the year, a somewhat fanciful rumor talked about the possibility of a more compact design with more ports than before. We’re not sure how much credence to lend to that forecast, but we won’t object if that’s what Apple does.
iPad Pro 2022 and iPad 2022
Rounding out potential October 2022 Apple hardware releases that could run on updated Apple silicon is the iPad Pro 2022 tablet, last updated in the spring of 2021. This time around, Apple is likely to turn to the M2 chip for both the 11- and 12.9-inch tablets.
Other possible additions to the iPad Pro could be wireless charging and a new Smart Connector on the side of the tablet. Early rumors had talked about the potential addition of a notch to the iPad Pro’s display as way of shrinking the bezels, but at a time when the iPhone 14 Pro models have ditched their notch for a cool and useful Dynamic Island feature, this would seem like a backward step.
Also keep an eye on Apple’s standard iPad. The 10.2-inch iPad is still running an older chipset, so it could stand to see some upgraded internals. That doesn’t mean an M2 chip is bound for this iPad like it is on the Pro models. Instead, we could see a more modest jump to the A14 Bionic. (The current model uses an A13.)
iPadOS 16
Here’s another October release that Apple has already confirmed — right after it said that the iPadOS 16 software update wasn’t going to arrive at the same time as iOS 16’s mid-September release. Instead Apple is targeting October for the next major update to the iPad’s operating system, giving it more time to tinker with new features.
Besides the iOS 16 features already available to iPhone users since September, iPadOS 16 brings Stage Manager, a new multitasking tool, to select tablets. With Stage Manager, you get a visible dock for easily accessing apps and you can resize app windows like you would be able to on a Mac. Originally slated for just M1-powered iPads (and presumably M2 models when they arrive), Apple has broadened support for Stage Manager out to four older iPads.
iOS 16.1
As mentioned, iOS 16 already shipped, but as is tradition with Apple, not every feature went live at launch. Live Activities — lock-screen widgets that relay up-to-the-minute info as it changes — didn’t appear in iOS 16, but they are part of the iOS 16.1 beta. Once that update ships — most likely this month — Live Activities will be ready, too. Hopefully, iOS 16.1 also introduces a fix to the battery problems some upgrades have cited.
macOS Ventura
There’s one final piece of software that needs to come out this fall, and that’s macOS Ventura. The latest version of Apple’s Mac software is also targeting an October release, Apple has said.
With macOS Ventura, Macs gain some of the updates found in the equivalent iOS apps. You’ll be able to share Tap Groups in Safari as you can in iOS 16, and you can edit text messages after sending them, too. Mail gets improved search, and Apple’s effort to replace passwords with Passkeys includes the Mac as well as the iPhone and iPad.
Stage Manager is part of the macOS update, and a Continuity Camera feature turns your iPhone into a webcam for an additional angle on video calls.
Apple’s October outlook
We’re not saying all of these launches will happen, though many — the software releases plus the iPhone 14 Plus — are already confirmed. It just goes to show that Apple doesn’t need a dedicated event to still have a lot going on.
