New Macs and iPads tipped for Apple October event launch

We’re still waiting for the rumored Apple October product launches to happen. But if and when they do, it’s sounding like they’ll be all about new iPads and Macs.

Twitter leaker Dohyun Kim (opens in new tab) claims we’ll see new iPad and iPad Pro models, as well as new 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pros and a refreshed Mac mini, by the end of October. This matches with other Apple rumors we’ve heard, so the tech tipster consensus seems to still be that Apple will launch new tablets and computers this month.

Firstly, there should be a standard iPad 2022, which could be the most notable update of all the new products. It has been rumored to receive a major redesign in line with the modern, flat-sided look of the iPad Pro, iPad Air and iPad mini, including a much larger display and USB-C. But since Apple’s now thought to be only announcing this batch of products by press release instead of at an event, it would be odd to introduce such a major change without full fanfare.

The other tablet to look out for will be the iPad Pro 2022. This has been rumored to move from the current Apple M1 chip to a new Apple M2 chip like the MacBook Air M2 and 13-inch MacBook Pro M2 from earlier this year. Other than that, rumors of wireless charging and a new smart connector have also circulated.

Moving to laptops, it’s been widely predicted that we’ll see new MacBook Pro with M2 Pro models this month. These could only differ from the existing 14-inch MacBook Pro and 16-inch MacBook Pro with their new chips, expected to be titled M2 Pro and M2 Max, which will build on the M2’s improved architecture with more CPU and GPU cores for pro-level performance.

Meanwhile, for desktop machines, we may also see a Mac mini 2022 with a standard M2 chip to replace the Mac mini M1 that arrived at the end of 2020. However, like with the MacBook Pros, we shouldn’t expect a design refresh.

Two other things that we might see as part of this announcement bundle are macOS Ventura and iPadOS 16. The latest version of the Mac and iPad operating systems were delayed from their expected September release, presumably to give Apple more time to iron out any kinks. Even if the products rumored above don’t end up appearing, Apple’s already confirmed October releases for both the new macOS and iPadOS versions.

We’re almost halfway through October at the time of writing, which gives Apple another two weeks to bring us the devices we’re expecting. But if you can’t wait that long to upgrade your tablet or laptop, take a look at our best iPads and best MacBooks guides to see what your current top choices are.