Your MacBook and iPad could look seriously outdated next month

We’ve only just got our heads around the latest Apple product launch but the tech giant could have even more new gadgets coming very soon. Earlier this month the firm unveiled the iPhone 16, iPhone 16 Plus, iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max, along with the Apple Watch Series 10 and new AirPods 4, but rumours suggest there will be an October event where more is announced.

According to Mark Gurman of Bloomberg, Apple is set to host another event “in the coming week” where he expects us to see new M4-powered MacBook Pro laptops, with both an entry-level model and more powerful versions with even beefier M4 chips. This M4 chip unusually debuted in the latest iPad Pro rather than a Mac.

Gurman also predicts we’ll see a new M4 iMac as well as a new smaller Mac mini with both an M4 and M4 Pro version. If you were holding out for a new MacBook Air, it looks as though you’ll have to wait until 2025.

There have been previous reports that this October Apple event could also see the introduction of a new iPad mini. This would make sense as the model Apple currently sells debuted in 2021, and Apple usually refreshes its products more frequently than that. Expect a faster chip, improved cameras, and a fix for the so-called “jelly scrolling” of the display that Apple kept quiet about but makes scrolling look odd when the iPad is in portrait orientation.

Finally, if the event delivers on all the rumours then Apple could well be updating the regular iPad, which would make it the iPad eleventh-generation. The tenth-gen was released in 2022 and finally got rid of the Home Button, so this update is once again expected to be minor, with a few spec updates and potentially new colours.

If you were thinking of buying a new MacBook or iPad it’s well worth waiting a few weeks to see if Apple launches new devices in October. More often than not, the new models are priced the same as the previous generation in the UK, so you’ll get more for your money if you wait.

We’re particularly excited for the iPad mini, which would be the seventh-generation version. Without the Home Button, the thin bezels look great on such a compact tablet, making it great for eBooks, videos and web browsing. It’ll be interesting to see if Apple keeps the mini compatible with the Apple Pencil 2 or forces fans to upgrade to the Apple Pencil Pro, which is necessary to buy if you want a stylus with the latest iPad Air and iPad Pro.

As for the M4 Macs, if you need a new Mac and you need the power then the update will be welcome, but most people’s needs will already be covered by the cheaper M3 MacBook Air already on sale.