Top Stories: October 13 Apple Event, iPhone 12 and HomePod Mini Leaks, and More

Apple's iPhone 12 event is nearly upon us, and leaks and rumors have been flying around in the final days. We've got new details on the iPhone 12 and its launch timing, a smaller HomePod, and more.

Wrap Up 31 Thumbnail 2 copy
In addition, we're still looking at a number of other new products including AirPods Studio, AirTags, and the first Apple Silicon Macs, so read on below for the latest on all of these!

Apple Event Announced for October 13: Here's What to Expect

Apple this week announced that it will be hosting its second event in as many months on Tuesday, October 13 at 10 a.m. Pacific Time. During the event, Apple is widely expected to unveil its iPhone 12 lineup, and it may have a few other products to announce, so check out our overview article and video covering what to expect at the event.

what to expect oct20 feature
As with its Apple Watch and iPad event in September, Apple will be hosting this event virtually with a video streamed from its Apple Park campus in California, and we've shared a guide on how to watch the event.

Full Details of iPhone 12 Lineup Allegedly Leaked Ahead of Next Week's Apple Event

The iPhone 12 will undoubtedly be the star of next week's event, and a fresh round of leaks from Weibo source Kang claims to share a host of details about the upcoming lineup.

iPhone 12 Leak Feature 2 copy
According to the leak, all four ‌iPhone 12‌ models will have OLED Super Retina XDR displays and a new hardened "Ceramic Shield" glass screen, and all are capable of shooting Dolby Vision video, offering higher dynamic range.

In addition, all phones will support 5G, but only the U.S. models of the ‌iPhone 12‌ lineup will reportedly support the faster mmWave 5G band. Other notable details in the leak include a "Smart Data Mode" to switch between 4G and 5G to save power, photography improvements for Deep Fusion and Night Mode, and more.

As for launch timing, the rumor claims the two 6.1-inch models will launch first with pre-orders on October 16 and a release on October 23. The 5.4-inch iPhone 12 mini and 6.7-inch iPhone 12 Pro Max are said to launch on November 13 and 20 respectively, with pre-orders for each starting a week ahead of time.

Pricing is said to start at $699 for the iPhone 12 mini, $799 for the iPhone 12, $999 for the iPhone 12 Pro, and $1099 for the iPhone 12 Pro Max.

Leaker: HomePod 'Mini' Will Launch Next Month Costing $99

After hearing earlier this week that a smaller, cheaper HomePod is close to launch, a new rumor from Kang claims this "HomePod mini" will indeed be launching next month and will cost just $99.

Smaller HomePod 99 feature
The speaker is said to be 3.3 inches high compared to the 6.8-inch height of the original ‌HomePod‌, and it is allegedly powered by an S5 processor, which is used in the Apple Watch Series 5 and Apple Watch SE.

The ‌HomePod‌ mini is said to go on sale on November 16, and previous reports have indicated the new speaker could include just two tweeters, rather than the current model's seven, in order to drive down costs and save space. Hopefully Apple will share details on the new speaker at next Tuesday's event.

Apple to Allegedly Rekindle 'MagSafe' Brand for Magnetic iPhone Case and Wireless Charging Accessories

Alongside the iPhone 12 lineup, Apple is reportedly planning to revive its "MagSafe" branding with a new iPhone case accessory and a pair of magnetic charging pads.

1024px MagSafe 9651
While it's not completely clear what function the magnets will perform, the two official Apple wireless chargers are said to be called "MagSafe Charger" and "MagSafe Duo Charger," one or both of which will have a 15-watt power output.

Prosser: AirPods Studio to Start at $350 But Won't Feature at Next Week's Apple Event, AirTags Delayed Until March 2021

Two things missing from today's big leak about the iPhone 12, HomePod mini, and MagSafe chargers are mentions of AirTags and AirPods Studio, two heavily rumored new Apple products.

airpods studio render pivot green
Their omission suggests they may not make their debut at next week's event, and leaker Jon Prosser says that while an AirPods Studio launch may be just a few weeks away, they will indeed not appear at the event. Prosser says the over-ear headphones will be priced at $350 for the cheaper, sporty model and $600 for the "luxury variant" previously seen in a leaked photo.

Prosser also says that Apple's Tile-like Bluetooth item trackers known as AirTags similarly won't be unveiled at Tuesday's event, with their launch instead being pushed back to March 2021.

Bloomberg: First Mac With Apple Silicon Will Be Announced in November

One other 2020 product launch we've been waiting for is Apple's first Mac based on its own Apple Silicon chips rather than Intel processors. Apple has said that the first Apple Silicon Mac will launch before the end of the year, but it looks like we may not see it at next week's event.

applesilicon
A fresh report from Bloomberg's Mark Gurman claims the new Mac, which could be a 13-inch MacBook Pro or MacBook Air, should launch in November, and it seems likely it would warrant its own virtual media event at that time.

MacRumors Newsletter

Each week, we publish an email newsletter like this highlighting the top Apple stories, making it a great way to get a bite-sized recap of the week hitting all of the major topics we've covered and tying together related stories for a big-picture view.

So if you want to have top stories like the above recap delivered to your email inbox each week, subscribe to our newsletter!

Top Rated Comments

Elijen Avatar
45 months ago
Give us back our Magsafe for Macs!
Score: 36 Votes (Like | Disagree)
AngerDanger Avatar
45 months ago

Give us back our Magsafe for Macs!
Here you go!



Attachment Image
Score: 16 Votes (Like | Disagree)
CausticSoda Avatar
45 months ago
Magsafe for the iPhone? Seriously? We want Magsafe for Macs! iPhones are so light you'd probably kick it half way across the room before the cable detached...
Score: 13 Votes (Like | Disagree)
RFolk Avatar
45 months ago
Like my good friend Freddie once said, “I want it all”
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
HarryWild Avatar
45 months ago
Hoping for a 5.4” iPhone 12 Pro Model! Do not want to buy a “budget“ iPhone!
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
ridgero Avatar
45 months ago
Getting a 12 Pro 6,1 this time.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

iPhone Home Screen Gradient Blank Spaces 1

Sources: iOS 18 Lets Apps Be Placed Anywhere on Home Screen Grid

Sunday March 24, 2024 1:33 pm PDT by
iOS 18 will give iPhone users greater control over Home Screen app icon arrangement, according to sources familiar with the matter. While app icons will likely remain locked to an invisible grid system on the Home Screen, to ensure there is some uniformity, our sources say that users will be able to arrange icons more freely on iOS 18. For example, we expect that the update will introduce...
reset password request iphone

Warning: Apple Users Targeted in Phishing Attack Involving Rapid Password Reset Requests

Tuesday March 26, 2024 4:34 pm PDT by
Phishing attacks taking advantage of Apple's password reset feature have become increasingly common, according to a report from KrebsOnSecurity. Multiple Apple users have been targeted in an attack that bombards them with an endless stream of notifications or multi-factor authentication (MFA) messages in an attempt to cause panic so they'll respond favorably to social engineering. An...
iPad Pro 2024 Landscape Camera Feature

New iPad Pro Again Rumored to Feature Landscape Front-Facing Camera

Monday March 25, 2024 5:43 am PDT by
The next-generation iPad Pro will feature a landscape-oriented front-facing camera for the first time, according to the Apple leaker known as "Instant Digital." Instant Digital reiterated the design change earlier today on Weibo with a simple accompanying 2D image. The post reveals that the entire TrueDepth camera array will move to the right side of the device, while the microphone will...
sonoma desktop wwdc

Apple Releases macOS Sonoma 14.4.1 With Fix for USB Hub Bug

Monday March 25, 2024 10:10 am PDT by
Apple today released macOS Sonoma 14.4.1, a minor update for the macOS Sonoma operating system that launched last September. macOS Sonoma 14.4.1 comes three weeks after macOS Sonoma 14.4. The ‌‌‌‌macOS Sonoma‌‌ 14.4‌.1 update can be downloaded for free on all eligible Macs using the Software Update section of System Settings. There's also a macOS 13.6.6 release for those who...
Generic iOS 18 Feature Purple

iOS 18 Will Finally Bring This Android Feature to iPhone

Monday March 25, 2024 6:42 am PDT by
iOS 18 will allow iPhone users to place app icons anywhere on the Home Screen grid, according to sources familiar with development of the software update. This basic feature has long been available on Android smartphones. While app icons will likely remain locked to an invisible grid system on the Home Screen, our sources said that users will be able to arrange icons more freely on iOS 18....
iphone reasons to upgrade

Apple Outlines 'Reasons to Upgrade' Your iPhone on New Website

Monday March 25, 2024 12:53 pm PDT by
Apple today added a "Why Upgrade" section to its website, which is aimed at encouraging customers with older iPhones to upgrade to a newer model. The website allows customers to compare the iPhone 11, 11 Pro, 11 Pro Max, 12, 12 mini, 12 Pro, and 12 Pro Max to the iPhone 15, iPhone 15 Plus, iPhone 15 Pro, or iPhone 15 Pro Max. Each comparison shows what new features someone with an older...
maxresdefault

Apple Announces WWDC 2024 Event for June 10 to 14

Tuesday March 26, 2024 10:02 am PDT by
Apple today announced that its 35th annual Worldwide Developers Conference is set to take place from Monday, June 10 to Friday, June 14. As with WWDC events since 2020, WWDC 2024 will be an online event that is open to all developers at no cost. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. WWDC 2024 will include online sessions and labs so that developers can learn about new...