Source: Apple
“Welcome home”! Don’t worry, we’re not getting over-familiar. This was the name of Apple’s latest event on 13th October, which saw yet another flurry of product drops. As the event name suggests, this release focused on the smart home ecosystem with a bunch of firsts for its domestic range.
Waiting patiently for new Macs and iPads? Not for much longer, we hope. Mr Gurman over at Bloomberg reports there will be another Apple event on 27th October, which is set to announce the OLED touchscreen MacBook models, OLED iPad mini and more new Macs!
Keep reading for the full scoop on Apple’s latest smart home drops, and the new Macs and iPads to watch out for on the 27th.
What did Apple announce at its “Welcome home” event?
Apple made its intentions clear to connect the entire home on 13th October, with new product announcements including a video doorbell and its first-ever smart home hub.
Apple Home Collection
- A brand-new lineup of smart home accessories focused on simplicity and privacy.
- Products include indoor and outdoor cameras, thermostats, temperature sensors, and a video doorbell and door lock.
- Designed in collaboration with LG Electronics and Schneider Electric.
HomeView smart home hub
- Apple’s new and first-ever smart home display and central hub.
- Powered by Apple Intelligence and Siri AI.
- 7-inch Liquid Retina display, bringing entertainment and smart home management together.
Apple TV 4K (2026)
- Upgraded with the A19 chip.
- Powered by Siri AI.
- Built-in far-field microphones for hands-free voice activation.
HomePod mini 2
- Powered by Siri AI.
- New colours.
- Enhanced audio experiences.
New iPad and Macs incoming on 27th October
The mysterious and somewhat divisive touchscreen MacBook has been in the works for years. After it was all but confirmed back in June, it looks like Apple might finally be about to pull back the curtain. But that’s not all you can expect on 27th October…
Touchscreen MacBook
- Initially thought to be named MacBook Ultra. However, Bloomberg suggests it could fall into the MacBook Pro family.
- Premium product with M5 Pro and M5 Max chips – likely available in 14-inch and 16-inch.
- Touchscreen capabilities with an OLED display.
- Brand-new display with a thinner, lighter design and a Dynamic Island.
M6 MacBook Pro
- Same design as the current MacBook Pro.
- Fully focused on the brand-new M6 chip, TSMC’s (Apple’s chip manufacturer) first-ever 2-nanometre GAAFET chip designed to bring leaps in performance, efficiency and graphics.
- 12-core GPU instead of 10-core for the first time on a base Mac chip.
- Other benefits include higher memory bandwidth and boosted AI performance.
iPad mini 8th Gen
- Brand-new OLED display with thinner bezels, making the screen slightly larger than the 7th generation – expect better contrast and colours.
- Full redesign with new casing, no speaker grilles and a new vibration-based speaker system, making this the very first waterproof iPad.
- A20 Pro chip – much faster than the A17 Pro, with cooling performance benefits.
iMac update
- Last updated in October 2024.
- Upgrade expected this October – potentially jumping from M4 straight to the new M6 chip.
Protect your cash flow with flexible leasing
It feels like Christmas has come early after the Mac mini/Mac Studio upgrades and with Apple’s 27th October event on the horizon. That being said, prices continue to rise amid surging demand for memory and storage. This is where flexible leasing becomes ever more crucial – providing a raft over the cash-flow headache towards landing the equipment your business needs to thrive.
We’ll keep a close eye on what drops at the end of the month, but if you’d like to upgrade before then or have any questions about how leasing can benefit your business, give us a call on 01952 876928, email sales@leaseloop.co or fill out our online contact form.