After unveiling new iPhones and Apple Watches at its Gather Round event in September, Apple today announced a separate event that’s expected to focus on the iPad and Mac. It will be held on October 30, 2018 at the Howard Gilman Opera House within New York City’s Brooklyn Academy of Music, and was announced with “There’s more in the making” invitations — notably including a variety of Apple logos representing very different artistic styles.
The event will be livestreamed at 10 a.m. Eastern, coming right between the October 26 release date of the iPhone XR and the November 1 release of Apple’s fourth-quarter 2018 earnings report. Slightly smaller new iPad Pro models with Face ID, magnetic accessory charging, and USB-C ports will most likely topline the event, alongside new versions of the Smart Keyboard and Apple Pencil. Apple is also expected to debut a new 13-inch Retina MacBook, a professionally focused Mac Mini, and spec bump-caliber updates to other macOS machines.
With the releases of iOS 12 and macOS 10.14 Mojave squarely in the rear-view mirror, Apple will likely use the opportunity to debut the finished releases of iOS 12.1 and macOS 10.14.1, which have been in beta testing since September. These releases are expected to officially enable multi-caller Group FaceTime video and audio chats, as well as features specific to the new iPads and Macs. An update to watchOS including ECG support for U.S. Apple Watch users could also arrive at the event.
Many people have been expecting Apple to make some comment on its previously announced AirPower wireless charging pad and wireless charging case for AirPods earphones. The company seemingly teased a new version of AirPods with Hey Siri support during its September keynote, but ultimately didn’t show the product or its wireless charging items during the event. It remains to be seen whether any of these items will appear during this event.
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Apple doesn’t hold October events every year, but tends to do so when it wants to spotlight brand new hardware designs just ahead of the holiday shopping season. Unlike its September events, which are heavily dependent on partnerships with cellular carriers, products announced at the October event could quickly appear at Apple’s retail stores rather than demanding advance reservations or preorders.
