After iPhone 14 launch, new M2 Macs and iPad could land in October

Apple could launch a new M2-based iPad Pro as well as M2 takes on the Mac mini, Mac Pro and MacBook Pro at an event in October, according to Bloomberg Apple-watcher Mark Gurman, 

Gurman reckons Apple will release at least two new machines in October, which could include a revamped iPad Pro with an M2 processor and an updated entry-level iPad with an A14 chip and a USB-C port. There could also be an M2 Mac mini, Mac Pro and MacBook Pro. 

9to5Mac reports Apple will release an 11-inch iPad Pro with an LCD display and 12.9-inch iPad Pro with a miniLED technology. Both will also get MagSafe power connections.

At the low-end, 2022 will see Apple release the 10th generation of the entry-level iPad and it will sport a USB-C port instead of the Lightning connector, which should mean Apple’s entire iPad lineup will support USB-C. This switch is happening after European lawmakers mandated all device manufacturers must support USB-C by 2024.     

Apple is juggling several balls as it heads into the 2022 holiday shopping season after navigating supply chain congestion caused by China’s ‘Covid zero’ policy. The nation is now facing a severe drought affecting the Yangtze River’s hydroelectric generation that has forced regional electric power cuts, which prompted Tesla to call for relief. 

The tech giant is set to announce its iPhone 14 lineup and new Apple Watch models on September 7, which falls on the same week as the company will require all staff at its Cupertino headquarters to return to the office for three days a week. Tuesdays and Thursdays are mandatory, while a third day is to be nominated by teams. 

Apple typically launches new iPhones in September or October but, as Gurman notes in his Power On newsletter this week, Apple has slightly pushed the launch of the iPhone 14 forward, making it the earliest iPhone launch since 2016. This year’s earlier launch date gives Apple an extra week of iPhone sales in the quarter covering the crucial holiday season sales

This year’s entry-level iPad is tipped to feature a Retina display in line with the iPad Air’s display and should have a bigger screen, at between 10.5- to 10.9-inches.      

As for Apple’s launch events, it appears the company making them conform to its hybrid work approach. Gurman bets that Apple will have an in-person event that will also be streamed. 

“We’re still far from returning to pre-pandemic business as usual. But the combination of an on-site media event and in-person office work could make it feel like Apple’s most normal fall since the iPhone 11 was launched in 2019,” wrote Gurman.