Apple today announced that it will be holding a special event on Monday, October 18 at 10:00 a.m. Pacific Time. The event is set to take place at the Steve Jobs Theater on the Apple Park campus in Cupertino, California, and it will once again be a digital only event.
When there are a lot of products coming in the fall months, Apple often holds a second October or November event, which is the case in 2021. Rumors have been teasing redesigned 14 and 16-inch MacBook Pro models for months now, and it's looking like Apple is finally ready to release them.
Unleashed! These next six days are going to speed by. #AppleEvent pic.twitter.com/0ops2bVPvl — Greg Joswiak (@gregjoz) October 12, 2021
Rumors suggest the 14 and 16-inch MacBook Pro models will have an overhauled design with thinner bezels and larger displays, and we've already seen hints of 3024 x 1964 and 3456 x 2234 resolutions, respectively, which would enable 2x Retina for sharper, crisper images and text. The new MacBook Pro will use an M1X chip, which is an faster, more powerful version of the M1, plus it could support up to 32GB RAM.
The new MacBook Pro will mark the return of MagSafe connectivity, a charging feature that will replace USB-C. Apple is also bringing back the HDMI port and SD card slot, and there will be no Touch Bar, with Apple instead re-adopting a standard function row of keys. The 2021 MacBook Pro models will be a throwback to the pre-2016 MacBook Pro designs, with Apple undoing many of the changes that were introduced with the 2016 revamp.
We thought the AirPods 3 might come out at Apple's September event because it makes sense to unveil AirPods alongside iPhones, but that didn't happen, so we could instead see them at the October event. The new AirPods will have shorter AirPods Pro-like stems and an AirPods Pro-style case, but will continue to be a more affordable option without Active Noise Cancellation.
We'll likely find out when macOS Monterey is going to launch, and Apple could also have some surprises like an M1X version of the Mac mini in store, but aside from MacBook Pro models and AirPods 3, we haven't heard rumors of anything else coming out this year.
Apple plans to stream the fall event live on its website, on YouTube, and on the Apple TV through the Apple TV app. For those unable to watch, MacRumors will be providing full event coverage both on MacRumors.com and the MacRumorsLive Twitter account.
