What to expect from Apple’s unexpected ‘Scary Fast’ October event

1 month ago

After months of rumors, Apple has yet announced an event wherever it will uncover a bunch of caller products for waiting fans connected October 30. The uncharacteristically precocious arena will commencement astatine 5 p.m. PT and will beryllium streamed online for each to see. Dubbed “Scary Fast,” it’s thought nan show will attraction chiefly connected nan company’s Mac computers — but what precisely are we going to see?

We cognize Macs will beryllium nether nan spotlight astatine Apple’s show for 1 elemental reason: nan teaser animation Apple utilized to denote nan arena sees nan company’s logo morph into nan icon for nan Finder, an app recovered only connected nan Mac. That’s a beautiful beardown hint if we’ve ever seen one.

We’ve scoured nan rumor mill for each nan latest leaks and tidbits concerning nan show. If you want to cognize what’s apt connected nan way, publication on.

13-inch MacBook Pro pinch M3 chip

Apple's invitation for its Scary Fast event.

While Apple’s M2 spot wasn’t a immense upgrade complete nan M1, things will almost surely beryllium different pinch nan M3. It’s going to beryllium made pinch a 3-nanometer process (just for illustration nan A17 Pro spot wrong nan iPhone 15 Pro), which is expected to greatly amended its capacity and efficiency.

With that successful mind, it makes consciousness to presume that a show named “Scary Fast” will debut this next-generation Mac chip. But which devices will it find its measurement into?

Apple's 15-inch MacBook Air placed connected a desk.

At nan moment, nan 13-inch MacBook Pro seems likely. Apple usually launches caller chips successful user Macs first, past pro models afterward. Apple past updated nan 13-inch MacBook Pro successful June 2022, and earlier that successful precocious 2020, truthful this 18-month upgrade rhythm would fresh successful nicely pinch an October 2023 release.

What astir nan MacBook Air? That’s a small much complicated. While nan 13-inch exemplary sewage nan M2 spot successful June 2022, nan 15-inch MacBook Air is overmuch younger — successful fact, it was only launched successful summertime 2023. That almost surely puts it retired of nan moving for nan October event, and it’s an thought that Mark Gurman backs up, saying nan M3 MacBook Air improvement is down that of nan MacBook Pro and that we apt won’t spot it until 2024.

16-inch and 14-inch MacBook Pro

The MacBook Pro connected a woody table.

It’s besides imaginable that nan 16-inch and 14-inch MacBook Pro laptops get M3 Pro and M3 Max chips astatine Apple’s event. That would decidedly warrant nan “Scary Fast” taxable fixed their expected power.

However, location are reasons to uncertainty this, arsenic these high-end MacBook Pros were past updated successful January 2023. Bringing retired 2 versions of nan aforesaid laptop conscionable 10 months isolated would beryllium highly different — and astir apt not excessively celebrated among Mac users either.

It besides would beryllium unprecedented for Apple to motorboat aggregate chips astatine nan aforesaid time. In this case, Apple would beryllium simultaneously announcing nan M3, M3 Pro, and M3 Max.

Still, we can’t wholly norm it out, arsenic this is simply a Mac arena that’s group to debut blazing-fast caller devices. As good arsenic that, Bloomberg journalist Mark Gurman has noted that banal of these laptops has almost dried up, pinch agelong hold times if you want to order. That’s often a motion that Apple is clearing inventory successful anticipation of caller models.

In fact, Gurman says he has “little doubt” these laptops will beryllium announced astatine Apple’s show, while Apple expert Ming-Chi Kuo believes that M3 MacBook Pros will beryllium nan focus of nan event. So don’t beryllium amazed if these laptops make an quality connected October 30.

If these MacBook Pros do get announced, we expect it to only beryllium a spot refresh pinch fewer different changes.

iMac and iMac Pro

A student types astatine a table connected a pinkish Apple iMac 24-inch M1 desktop computer.

There person been beardown rumors for months that Apple will update its 24-inch iMac astatine nan October event, an thought that is bolstered by nan truth that Apple hasn’t touched this instrumentality since early 2021. Simply put, it’s agelong overdue for an upgrade.

But really precisely will it beryllium tuned up? That’s wherever nan statement ends. Mark Gurman thinks nan iMac will skip nan M2 chip and will alternatively spell consecutive from nan M1 to nan M3, making it 1 of Apple’s first computers to carnivore this next-generation chip.

However, renowned Apple pundit John Gruber has different ideas. He has pointed out that nan Vision Pro headset will travel pinch an M2 spot and isn’t owed retired until 2024, truthful if Apple launches Macs pinch nan M3, nan Vision Pro will instantly look outdated. That’s not a bully look for specified a monolithic flagship product.

Apple iMac 24 inch placed connected a table successful a sunny context.

As good arsenic that, Apple supposedly ordered all of spot shaper TSMC’s 3nm chips exclusively for its A17 Pro, which leaves small near complete for nan M3 Macs until TSMC tin restock. That could make a 2023 motorboat of immoderate M3-bearing Mac a small unlikely.

Still, nan M2 spot would hardly warrant nan “Scary Fast” tagline. But Gruber has different thought — we could spot nan return of nan iMac Pro. This mightiness beryllium outfitted pinch M2 Pro and M2 Max chips, which would beryllium due for nan event’s name. This iMac Pro would, successful theory, besides beryllium a larger and much premium design. I would presume it wouldn’t connection nan aforesaid vibrant colors arsenic nan 24-inch iMac, either.

On nan different hand, focusing connected M2 iMacs for illustration this would earnestly limit what Apple tin merchandise since nan MacBook statement has already received chips from nan M2 generation. As Gruber concedes, possibly nan arena will beryllium astir M3 aft all, which could perchance mean iMacs and MacBooks — aliases moreover an M3 Pro and M3 Max iMac Pro.

And Mark Gurman makes nan bully constituent that Apple would beryllium doing itself a “massive disservice” by not launching M3 chips. “I would beryllium highly shocked if Apple is hosting a general arena pinch a video, invitation and hype up of clip for thing much than an iMac refresh pinch existing chips,” he argues. So don’t disregard nan thought of an M3 iMac aliases iMac Pro conscionable yet.

Anything else?

That leaves a fewer Macs near complete successful Apple’s line-up: nan Mac mini, nan Mac Studio, and nan Mac Pro. The second 2 were updated astatine Apple’s Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) successful June 2023, truthful we tin norm them out. But what astir nan Mac mini?

Like nan 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pros, nan Mac mini sewage caller chips successful January 2023. That suggests it’s astir apt excessively early for different switch-up. Mark Gurman has said Apple is testing an M3 Mac mini pinch a 2024 merchandise day successful mind, and that feels for illustration a sensible timeline.

So, expect to spot MacBooks and possibly iMacs astatine nan Scary Fast event. If you’re willing successful Apple’s different Macs, you’ll astir apt person to hold a small longer.