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Another Apple Event on Monday: Macs and AirPods 3?

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Apple's invite for the October 18th event, showing motion blur lines around an Apple logo, implying speed. The text reads: "Apple Event Watch the event on 10/18October 18th at 10 a.m. PDTPacific Daylight Time. View online at apple.com or on the Apple TV app. Add to your calendar. It then shows logos to share on networks, Facebook, and Twitter, as well as email and a link copy icon."Tell me if you heard this one before. The next Apple event will have AirPods 3!

Yeah?

Me too.

Still, there’s always a chance that this time will be the time Apple holds an event and releases the much-awaited AirPods 3.

Outside of the AirPods, we have a much more likely participant in Apple’s upcoming event: the MacBook Pro. Apple last updated the MacBook Pro in fall of 2019. I actually grabbed one then, knowing it would likely be the last Intel-powered MacBook Pro Apple would release. According to rumors, I was right. Apple’s “Unleashed” event on Monday, October 18th, will feature the first new 16-inch MacBook Pro in two years, and the first one with an Apple silicone processor. The new, more powerful version of the M1 processor, will also likely power other pro-focused hardware.

In This Article:

M1(X?) MacBook Pro

So far, we’ve seen a few M1-powered Macs. However, all have been “consumer level” machines. The iMac, the MacBook, and the Mac Mini aren’t in Apple’s “Pro” lineup. It’s not that the M1 chip isn’t powerful, it is, it’s just that Apple needed something better for the Pro series. You could get an Intel i9 MacBook Pro with 64GB of memory and a blazing fast processor and graphics. The M1 chip can’t power more than two monitors, and these new Macs top out at 16GB of RAM. That’s just not “pro” enough.

This is where the rumored M1X would come in. The chip, based on the M1, would be more powerful. Either by including more cores, a higher clock rate and more active cooling, more memory, or other upgrades.

New Design

Like the iMac, the MacBook Pro may feature a departure from the old MacBook Pro design, first introduced in 2016. The new MacBook Pro may finally decide that a ‘Pro’ laptop requires more than just USB-C, but perhaps an SD card slot as well. Some have said that Apple will abandon the useless Touch Bar as well, going with a row of traditional function keys instead. Apple already brought back a physical escape key and the scissor switch key mechanism at the behest of users. Perhaps it’s time they also admit they made other poor design decisions with their most popular laptop for professionals.

Thanks to the reduced power consumption and heat of Apple’s processors, the new MacBook Pro could potentially be thinner and lighter, and likely feature better battery life over the previous MacBook Pro. We saw what Apple could do with the iMac, now they could apply that to their laptops.

Still Not Pro Enough?

It’s yet to be seen, but Apple’s silicone hasn’t had a speedy start. While many new Macs have had Apple’s M1 processor for about a year next month, not all professional software can work on the platform. It can’t run Windows via Boot Camp, emulators, like those for Android devices, don’t run well, and a large portion of developer software made for Macs simply can’t run on the new Macs, even with the new Rosetta 2 emulation. For many professionals, Apple’s platform just isn’t ready for everyday use. However, the machines themselves have enough power to keep up with their Intel counterparts, even surpassing most of them. Most users, even those using their Macs for work, have been pleased with the leap in performance.

The hardware’s not the problem, it’s the software. Perhaps Apple will have a solution for that in the form of better emulation? Or perhaps they’ll just find a way to talk to more of their developers and get them to recompile and redesign their software for Apple silicon Macs.

Other Releases?

The iMac in the red/pink color

It’s possible that after introducing the M1X, a faster version of the M1 with (hopefully) support for more memory and displays, Apple would introduce higher-end versions of previously revealed hardware. They could release a Mac Mini Pro or an iMac Pro as well. Some have stated that there’s a gap in Apple’s lineup where the 27-inch iMac used to be, and it would be perfect for an iMac Pro.

Outside of hardware, Apple may finally release macOS Monterey. First revealed over the summer, we’ve expected a fall release for the next version of macOS.

AirPods?

We’ve heard so many rumors about these. Supposedly, they’re shaped much like the AirPods Pro headphones, but don’t include the silicone tips or active noise cancellation. They’ll replace the AirPods 2. We’ve seen photos and leaks of them, though multiple Apple events have come and gone without their release. According to some sources on the supply chain, the AirPods 3 are ready to release. A fall launch had been rumored since this summer, and many expected them at Apple’s iPhone event. Could this finally be the time Apple releases their more pro-like AirPods?

Apple’s event will be on Monday, which is a little unusual for the company, who usually prefers Tuesdays for their releases. It’ll start at 10am PDT (1pm EDT). You’ll be able to watch it at Apple.com.

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