Apple is planning to introduce new products on Tuesday, October 13, Apple marketing chief Greg Joswiak announced today. It won't be a traditional Apple event, but Apple has invited some members of the media to New York City to get some hands-on time with whatever's introduced.
Those of us not invited to the New York Experience are likely to be introduced to the new devices via press releases that'll come out on launch day. Since the NYC visits begin at 9:00 a.m. on the 13th, that may be when the product announcements will happen.
The video Joswiak shared gives us a major hint at what's coming, and as expected, it's home-related. We're expecting at least three new devices, including one all-new product.
Home Hub
We've been hearing rumors about Apple's home hub for months because it's been ready to ship and waiting on Siri AI. It's got a 6-inch display, and there are two varieties. One is meant to be mounted on the wall, and one is meant to be used with a half-dome speaker base.
Siri AI is a central part of the hub, and they'll basically give users a way to get information and answers from Siri. The hub will run a version of tvOS that could be called homeOS, with familiar Apple apps and widgets. It'll be a central home device, showing members of the family upcoming calendar events and other personalized information, along with offering an easy way to control connected smart home devices.
It will display the time when not in use, and it will be customizable so you can choose the widgets and apps you want to see. It has a camera so it can be used to make video calls, and it'll play videos too so you can put it in the kitchen and follow along with a recipe. Presence sensors and the camera will be able to tell the hub which member of the family is nearby, and it will show a custom interface for each person. It will use facial recognition for identification.
Pricing on the hub could start at around $350, and Apple envisions users putting several of the hubs in their homes.
HomePod mini
The HomePod mini is getting a refresh with new color options and a faster processor, plus an N1 networking chip for Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 6, and Thread. We're expecting the HomePod mini to offer new Siri AI features.
Apple TV 4K
The Apple TV 4K is also getting an upgraded chip and more RAM. It could have the A19 or A19 Pro and either 8GB or 12GB RAM. It too will get the N1 networking chip for Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 6, and Thread, and it is also expected to offer a full Siri AI experience.
Other Possibilities
There are more devices we're expecting Apple to launch before the end of the year, but Apple is going to hold another product launch on October 27 to introduce new Macs and the OLED iPad mini.
- iPad mini - The iPad mini is getting a major upgrade with an OLED display, improved waterproofing, and a faster chip. Expect it to be more expensive.
- OLED MacBook - Apple is planning to launch an OLED touchscreen MacBook, which could be a MacBook Pro or a new MacBook "Ultra." It's going to have the same M5 Pro and M5 Max chips as the current MacBook Pro models, but it will have an all-new display and a thinner, lighter design. It's going to be a premium product that will likely cost more than the current 14-inch and 16-inch high-end MacBook Pro models.
- iMac - Apple is working on an M6 iMac.
- 14-inch MacBook Pro - We could get a 14-inch MacBook Pro with an M6 chip before the year ends.
We'll have full coverage of all of Apple's announcements on the 13th, plus we'll be sharing last-minute rumors ahead of the launch so make sure to stay tuned.
