The Core
The Core cuts to the heart of the Apple news that matters to you every week. iMore’s News Editor Stephen Warwick breaks down all the top stories, along with a helping of deals, tips, insight, and humor.
With the madness of Amazon Prime Day in the rearview mirror, the summer is likely to bring a real slowdown in Apple news and rumors as we all take stock ahead of the major flurry of all announcements.
As is the case every year, we expect Apple to drop a swathe of new hardware across all of its major product categories including iPhone, iPad, and Apple Watch.
With the new M3 MacBook Air, M4 iPad Pro, and Apple Vision Pro already out, what exactly does Apple have left to deliver in 2024? Here are all the products we’re still expecting to launch.
iPhone 16
A very obvious selection, the iPhone 16 looks nailed on for an unveiling in early September. There are very few obvious highlights, with a new Capture button a standout rumored upgrade. Otherwise, updates sound muted, but a new chip for Apple Intelligence could bring Apple’s AI offering to the masses.
iPhone 16 Pro
Like the iPhone 16, the iPhone 16 Pro sounds like a muted upgrade. There is going to be a larger chassis size, 6.3 inches and 6.9 inches respectively, and a new chip. Otherwise, the Capture button of the iPhone 16 sounds like one of the most exciting upgrades coming to the lineup this year. A 48MP Ultrawide camera is also on the cards. We’d expect both models to debut in September.
Apple Watch X
The Apple Watch X is tipped to be a significant anniversary upgrade in the vein of the iPhone X. We’ve been told to expect a major redesign including some new magnetic bands, however, the prospect of the latter seems to be fading. The biggest change is likely to be a much larger chassis akin to the Apple Watch Ultra. If it does arrive in 2024, this should debut alongside the iPhone 16 in September.
Apple Watch SE 3
Rumors of an Apple Watch SE 3 are scant, but what we do know is that Apple is considering opting for a plastic chassis to bring costs down. The Apple Watch SE 3 was previously tipped for a 2024 launch, and previous launch patterns would point to an unveiling alongside the X and the Apple Watch Ultra 3.
Apple Watch Ultra 3
Apple’s rugged smartwatch is tipped for a small upgrade in 2024, with one headline rumor the advent of a new darker color. Otherwise, the big change is expected to be an even bigger display of up to 2.12 inches, separating the Ultra from the aforementioned Apple Watch X size increase.
Mini 7
Apple’s iPad mini is long overdue an upgrade, and the iPad mini 7 is one of two new tablets tipped for the end of this year. Along with iPad 11, the new upgrade (expected to be not much more than a processor bump) would mark a clean sweep of iPad upgrades for 2024. This is unlikely to feature alongside Apple Watch and iPhone, so it could debut at a separate fall event or even by a quiet press release launch.
iPad 11
Like the iPad mini 7, the iPad 11 is tipped to get a small processor bump before the end of 2024. There likely won’t be any other significant changes, but we’d bet on a release alongside the iPad mini 7, either at an October or November event, or by way of a press release.
M4 MacBook Pro
Our final 2024 prospect is a brand-new M4 MacBook Pro. M4 debuted much earlier than expected with the M4 iPad Pro, and there are rumors a new MacBook could arrive before the end of the year. An October or November Mac/iPad event is a prime candidate. While we wouldn’t expect any significant design changes, the M4 MacBook Pro should come with a heavy focus on AI and Apple Intelligence, possibly with new features unlocked by the chip.
Boot up
There’s a brand new HomePod mini available, and while it might not look very different on the surface, it’s a slightly different color to Apple’s previous space grey offering dubbed “midnight.”
Launchpad
Apple continues to dominate the small screen with great TV shows, which just scooped the company a whopping 72 Emmy nominations.
For your reading list
The advent of not one but two fantastic new emulators on iPhone means that our Features Editor Daryl Baxter can now play Super Mario 64 and Windows Pinball on iPad at the same time. Find out how here.
Genius Bar
Get iOS 18 on your iPhone right now, but make sure you read our guide first so you know what you’re doing!
One more thing
Do you know what a headless MacBook is? I didn’t either until I discovered them on the internet this week, now I’m obsessed with them and want to try one for myself.
