Apple is set to kick off “exciting week of announcement” from Monday, October 28. It is expected to be a significant week for the US-based technology giant, with the company likely planning to release its first batch of Apple Intelligence features to iPhones, Macs, and iPads. Additionally, Apple is expected to launch new M4 chip-powered Macs this week. Here is what to expect
Apple Intelligence
Apple rolled out the iOS 18.1 Release Candidate (RC) for developers and public beta testers last week, suggesting that the stable update could be launched for eligible iPhone users soon. Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman previously reported that Apple could release the iOS 18.1 update along with updates to macOS and iPadOS on October 28, bringing the first batch of Apple Intelligence features to its users.
With the new updates, Apple may introduce intelligent tools for system-wide writing assistance, an updated Siri interface, notification summaries, photo editing tools, and more to eligible iPhones, Macs, and iPads. While the update will be available for all devices running the latest operating system, Apple Intelligence features will be limited to select eligible iPhones, Macs, and iPads. Specifically, Apple Intelligence will be available only on the new iPhone 16 series and iPhone 15 Pro models, while Macs require Apple’s M-series chip to run the features. iPads powered by any M-series chip or A17 Pro chip or later will also support Apple Intelligence.
Macs
Last week, Apple’s marketing vice president, Greg Joswiak, confirmed that the company has an “exciting week of announcements” beginning Monday morning. This suggests that Apple is likely to make multiple announcements throughout the week rather than hosting a single event to launch the new M4 chip-powered Macs.
Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman has reported that Apple has invited select media members and creators to a venue in Los Angeles for “hands-on briefings” on Wednesday. He added that the company could introduce the new M4 MacBook Pro, new Mac mini, and a new 24-inch iMac model on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday. This schedule would allow Apple to start hands-on sessions right after the final product announcement.
Apple is expected to bring significant improvements to its MacBook Pro with the M4 update. The new model is anticipated to feature a minimum of 16GB RAM across variants, while the base model will likely include a 10-core CPU and GPU configuration. Apple is also expected to increase the number of Thunderbolt 4 ports on the new MacBook Pro. Similar to the MacBook Pro, the new iMac model is expected to receive a performance boost with a minimum of 16GB RAM and a 10-core CPU and GPU design.
The Mac mini is expected to have a completely new look with a smaller chassis, akin to the Apple TV. The new Mac mini will likely skip a generation to be powered by the new M4 chip, featuring configurations similar to those used in the iPad Pro. Regarding ports, the new Mac mini is expected to include up to five USB-C ports, eliminating USB-A ports altogether.
