However, Apple’s taking another field trip, and, this time it doesn’t seem to be about education. Instead, Apple may simply want to discuss creativity. What could be better than a trip to one of the greatest centers of art and creativity in the world, Brooklyn, NYC?
On October 30th, at 10:00am eastern time, Apple will host a special event at the Brooklyn Academy of Music. There, they’ll discuss new products. The invites are unique; Apple released a variety of invites to select news organizations. Apple will focus on creation, a popular topic for their professional hardware. We’re expecting new iPad Pros, and possibly even new iMacs, Mac Minis, an updated MacBook, and perhaps even a preview of the upcoming Mac Pro.
In This Article:
The Invites
iPad Pro
A mockup rendering of the new iPad Pro
We expect Apple to update the iPad Pro with a few new features. Most notable will be the smaller bezels, taking a cue from the iPhone XS design. Fortunately, unlike the iPhone XS, it won’t have a notch. Also, again, unlike the iPhone XS, it’ll work in both portrait and landscape orientation.
A leaked iPad Pro mockup from case maker UAG.
There has also been a rumor of a new magnetic connector. Apple was barely able to get third party accessory manufacturers to create accessories for the Smart Connector on the first iPad Pro, and now they’ll alienate them further by forcing them to update their products. For consumers, it means you’ll have to buy all new accessories for the iPad Pro.
At least we won’t have to hold it landscape for Face ID though, right?
The iPad Pro will also have a much faster version of the A12 that’s in the iPhone XS. It’ll primarily improve graphics performance over the iPhone. The 10.5″ iPad Pro will be up to 11″, and the 12.9″ iPad Pro will become more portable.
We also believe Apple will update the Apple Pencil, allowing it to connect via proximity, like the AirPods. There’s also one more rumor that seems like a bit of a stretch, but is certainly possible. It’s that Apple will abandon or augment the Lightning Connector on the iPad in favor of a USB-C connector. This would allow it to output video to a 4K HDR display, making the iPad the ultimate creative tool: a graphics tablet that is also the computer.
The Macs
It’s been a while since Apple has done a complete refresh of their Mac lineup. The Mac Mini is sporting the same design and specs as it was in 2014! The iMac design hasn’t changed a bit in years either. The Mac Pro is woefully out of date, and has left professional Mac users stranded, considering either a MacBook Pro or iMac Pro at the sacrifice of reparability, upgradeability, speed, heat, and cost.
Mac Mini
The Mac Mini might not seem important, but it’s the upgrade I’m most excited about. The Mac Mini can be found all over developer shops. We use them to build mobile apps and test them. They’re perfect to use as community build machines as they’re easy to set up, can build both iOS and Android applications, and are cost efficient.
However, they’re not anymore. The latest Mac Minis still have the same exact hardware they were carrying four years ago. They’re slow, outdated, and overpriced. I recently had to make a purchasing decision for my team. I didn’t even consider the Mac Mini, instead opting to build out a Windows PC and install Linux on it for Android builds for a third of the price of the outdated and slow Mac Mini. If you walk around a software company right now, you’ll see a ton of Macs. However, without support for a convenient Mac server, that’s starting to change. If Apple wants to keep developers, they’re going to need a new Mac Mini.
iMac
The iMac started to get a little stale after the fourth generation
Apple could surprise us, but there hasn’t been much on the iMac. My dream machine would be a Surface Studio-like iMac. A articulating screen like that on the G4 iMac, along with Apple Pencil support would be perfect for creative professionals. I wouldn’t imagine doing photo editing on anything else. However, Apple has been against this idea, and the design for the iMac has not largely changed since the iMac G5. Compared to the changes that the iMac G3, G4, and G5 represented, that’s a little disappointing.
The most likely upgrade for the iMac will be the display. Apple is expected to introduce True Tone display support, mirroring the MacBook Pro’s adoption of the feature this year. We can also expect Intel’s latest processors and new graphics cards.
MacBook
The MacBook is a strange device. It’s incredibly slim, slimmer than the MacBook Air. It’s a Mac in name, but feels more like a tablet that has been squished into a laptop configuration. It has only one USB-C port and, thankfully, a headphone jack. Beyond that, it’s Apple’s most basic consumer level Mac ever. Apple may finally kill off the MacBook Air with a larger version of the MacBook. It may also feature Touch ID for easy authentication.
Mac Pro
Finally, there’s the Mac Pro. Apple has already told us a lot about this device without revealing anything specific. It’ll be a powerful Mac that, like the original Mac Pro, will once again bring back a modular design. Customers will be able to customize their Macs exactly how they need it, making the Mac Pro the ultimate professional computer for Mac users once again. Currently, you’d be better off making a hackintosh.
See You in Brooklyn!
Apple’s events are usually held on the west coast. Therefore, when people on the east coast see “10am,” we know to turn in at 1pm, eastern time. However, Apple will be in NYC on the 30th. So, east coast viewers, tune in at 10am. West coast Apple followers, however, will have to get up early. You’ll be able to read about or watch a stream of the event at 7am on the west coast.
As someone who has to wake up at 3am for iPhone orders every year, welcome to the club.
Sources: