Why an October Apple Event Could No Longer Be in the Cards

Apple just announced a new iPad mini, powered by the A17 Pro chip, offering support for Apple Intelligence and the Apple Pencil Pro. While iPad mini fans should justifiably be excited about the new mini, what does today’s announcement mean for the rest of us, specifically those of us who have been expecting Apple to hold an October media event?

Will There Be an Apple Media Event Held in October?

Traditionally, Apple’s fall media events have been iPhone and Apple Watch events in September, often followed by an October event at which new Macs are unveiled, sometimes accompanied by new iPads.

With new M4-powered MacBook Pro models, a smaller M4 Mac mini, and possibly even a new M4 iMac on the docket, an October event was widely expected this year. It was assumed the new iPad mini would also be unveiled at that event.

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While a new base model iPad was also expected to debut at the event, recent rumors now suggest an early 2025 debut instead.

As the October event would involve the three new M4 Macs alongside a new iPad mini, we expected to see a relatively short event, likely focusing on Apple Intelligence and all of the related features that would be available on these platforms.

But now, the possibility of such an event looks a bit, well, iffy.

The M4 Macs

While Macs with more powerful M-series chips are admittedly exciting, most observers do not expect many additional features for the new M4 Macs.

Revamped designs for the MacBook Pro lineup haven’t been rumored. No new display panels are expected, and only minor upgrades (outside of the M4 chips) are expected — nothing that would really warrant a media event.

Meanwhile, other than the M4 chips, the M4 iMac’s biggest upgrade could be new USB-C accessories, like a USB-C Magic Keyboard, Magic Mouse, and Magic Trackpad (and please, Apple, put the charging connector for the mouse somewhere other than the underside of the damn mouse, so we can use it while it charges!) I suppose there could also be some fun new colors also.

It is possible that the Mac mini will be where multiple changes can be expected. 

In August Bloomberg scribe Mark Gurman said significant changes are on the way for the Mac mini. He said we can expect a smaller Mac mini that will be close to the size of an Apple TV, although it may be slightly taller than the current model. The current Mac mini measures 1.4 inches high (or 1.4 inches thick if you stand it on its side). The mini will continue to use an aluminum shell.

Gurman says Apple has tested Mac mini models with at least three USB-C ports on the back, in addition to a power cable and HDMI connectors. He expects there to be two versions of the new Mac mini, one with an M4 chip and a second one powered by an M4 Pro chip.

While these are all great improvements, do they justify an event? 

While the M4 chip could undoubtedly be a headliner at an event, Apple already did a song and dance about it when the new iPad Pro lineup debuted. 

While it certainly looks like the prospects of an October event have dimmed a bit, Apple could still surprise us. What do you think? Will Apple hold an October media event, or will the new Macs be relegated to a press release or two? Let us know what you think in the comments section.