Welcome to our weekly Apple Breakfast column, which includes all the Apple news you missed last week in one handy summary. We call it Apple Breakfast because we think it pairs really well with a cup of coffee or tea in the morning, but it’s cool if you also want to read it during lunch or dinner hours.
‘Small change
Defying all expectations, Apple last week sent out invitations to a special event on May 7. Based on the artwork (which features an Apple Pencil and an artistic Apple logo) and the lack of new Apple tablets since 2022, you can be pretty sure that iPads are back on the menu…but given that Apple decided to do this at an event rather than via a less ostentatious press release, so there could also be a few surprises.
New AirPods and AirPods Max
The promotional artwork strongly suggests that the iPads are the stars of the show, but that’s not necessarily the case: Apple might want to save something more exciting for the “one more thing” slot. And I would say more people care about the new AirPods than the new iPads.
There are also reasons for hope. In December, usually reliable Bloomberg reporter Mark Gurman predicted that 2024 would see the launch of not one but two standard AirPods models (one with active noise cancellation, one without), and one new set of AirPods Max to boot. And there is precedent for Apple releasing new AirPods in the spring: the 2nd generation AirPods were released in March 2019.
The AirPods Max in particular are in desperate need of an update. They weren’t completely convincing at launch, but over the last three and a half years they’ve aged like milk thanks to the lack of an H2 chip, USB-C, and lossless audio. My colleague, in fact, thinks Apple should delete them and start again.
A report in early April suggested that the 2nd generation AirPods Max wouldn’t arrive until the fall, but didn’t rule out a surprise appearance on May 7.
David Price / Foundry
David Price / Foundry
David Price / Foundry
A HomePod with a screen
We’ve been hearing for a while that Apple is about to refresh its smart home strategy, but it’s still unclear exactly what that will entail. One theory is that it will upgrade the humble HomePod by adding a screen so it can act as a hub without being as reliant on Siri. You’ll also be able to use it for FaceTime calls and watch news stories while you eat breakfast, which is handy for a device you might set up in the kitchen. Some reports suggest that the HomePod with Display will simply be an iPad that connects to a HomePod dock. This would definitely fit the iPad theme of the event.
Like the updated AirPods, a new HomePod could just about fit into the event’s creative “Let Loose” theme; If you check the animated illustrations in Tim Cook’s tweet, you’ll notice some musical iconography there.
All iPads
Apple rarely updates an entire lineup at once. The MacBook Air is refreshed at a different time than the Mac Pro, the iPhone SE is announced at a different time of year than the flagship iPhone, and different iPad models appear on an unpredictable staggered schedule.
It’s just possible that that will change this year.
Logically, we’re only expecting new versions of the iPad Pro and iPad Air, each the subject of multiple rumors and leaks in the supply chain. (This also matches the discovery of four unreleased models on the Bureau of Indian Standards website, which would correspond to the two Pro and Air sizes, respectively.) This remains by far the most likely outcome.
But Apple has two other iPad lines, and those are just as badly in need of an update as the Pro and Air. The 10th generation iPad was released in October 2022, the same time as the latest iPad Pro, while the 6th generation iPad mini was released in 2021 and is positively ancient. (Readers looking for clues may be wondering why Apple is holding the event at an unusually early time, at 7 a.m. PT on May 7, and whether that could indicate that the iPad mini 7th generation is an important element I’m… not entirely convinced by this, but it’s a fun idea.)
The wait since the iPad announcement has become ridiculous. It’s far from the case, but we could end up with a full set of new iPads in May.
But don’t expect…
There are announcements that would not only be a surprise: they would be a miracle. Here are the product launches I would put below a 1% probability.
New iPhones: The iPhone 16 (and 16 Plus, Pro and Pro Max) will be released in the fall. And the next iPhone SE is unlikely to appear before 2025. Every time Apple has an event, our iPhone rumor articles light up with optimistic readers, but that’s not going to happen.
New Apple Watches: Same story as iPhones. The Apple Watch Series 10/X won’t be here until September (possibly accompanied by a third-generation Ultra) and although the last Apple Watch SE was released 19 months ago, it appears to be following a two-year release cycle. years and there have been no relevant leaks in the supply chain.
A new version of Siri: Oh, I wish. But this is a WWDC announcement, assuming Apple is willing to admit that Siri 1.0 was horrible. Which is probably not the case.
The next version of Vision Pro: Way, way too soon. Expect this no sooner than 2025, and most likely 2026.
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Podcast of the week
Apple announces a May 7 event. Is FineWoven right for you? Is there a big change in store for the Calculator app? We talk about the latest rumors and news in this episode of the igamesnews podcast!
You can watch every episode of the igamesnews Podcast on Spotify, Soundcloud, the Podcasts app, or our own site.
The rumor mill
Apple kill FineWoven line troubled, report claims.
Report: New 12.9-inch iPad Air won’t have the same high-end screen as the iPad Pro.
iPad users rejoice! iPadOS 18 will finally include a Calculator app.
Software updates, bugs and issues
iOS 17.5 beta 3 arrives as Apple announces May iPad Event.
The third beta version of MacOS 14.5 is here. Get it on your Mac now.
And with that, we’re done for this week’s apple breakfast. If you would like to receive regular summaries, subscribe to our newsletters. You can also follow us on Facebook, Threads or Twitter to discuss the latest Apple news. See you next Monday and stay Appley.
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