In his latest Power On newsletter, Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman has revealed key details of Apple’s September iPhone 14 event. Furthermore, the leaker has also revealed information about Apple’s upcoming products like the M2 Mac mini, HomePod, and ‘other smart devices.’
No In-Person iPhone 14 Event
Starting off with the September 2022 event, Gurman says that Apple is again planning a virtual event for the unveiling of the new iPhone 14 series. The leaker even goes on to say that the event’s production is already underway and the company has “started to record” it. While some were hoping that Apple would resume full in-person starting with the iPhone 14 launch, it seems that the company is again planning a virtual, pre-recorded event.
In June, Apple held its WWDC event mostly virtually with a limited crowd at Apple Park to watch the pre-recorded keynote and go hands-on with new products. The company could be planning a similar limited in-person event for the iPhone 14 series. Gurman also revealed that just like the past few years, Apple is planning a second event for October, where it is expected to launch new Macs and iPads.
M2 and M2 Pro Mac mini could launch by the end of this year
Talking about the October event, the report also reveals that Apple is preparing an updated Mac mini. He says that Apple had an M1 Pro version of the Mac mini ready to be launched, but it “is now off the table.” Instead, Apple could launch new Mac mini models with M2 and M2 Pro chips.
The new version, however, is not expected to feature a major overhaul in terms of looks. Instead, Apple could introduce the 2022 Mac mini with the same shell as the previous one but with newer chips.
A report from 9to5Mac has revealed that the higher end of the 2022 Mac mini with an M2 Pro chip could feature up to eight performance cores and four efficient cores CPU. Along with the M2 Mac mini, Apple could also introduce the 2022 MacBook Pro at the October event, according to the report.
HomePod And Other Smart Home Devices In The Works
Lastly, Mark Gurman has also revealed that Apple is working on multiple smart home devices, including a full-sized HomePod and a new HomePod mini. He says that Apple is currently developing “at least four new smart home devices in its labs, but not all will see the light of the day.” At the moment, however, a new high-end HomePod seems more likely.
He says that the updated HomePod will be similar in “size and audio performance” to the original HomePod. It will run on the Apple S8 chipset, the same chip that is expected to power the upcoming Apple Watch Series 8 and could feature Bluetooth 5.2 support. In addition to the updated HomePod and HomePod mini, Apple is also exploring a “kitchen device that combines an iPad and a speaker” and a “living room device that combines an Apple TV, camera, and HomePod,” according to the report.
He says that at least one of these smart home devices will launch by the end of next year and would go against the likes of Google Nest and Amazon Echo products. Would you be interested in buying such a product? Let us know in the comments section below!
Source: Power On
