Key takeaways
- iPhone Duo ships Oct. 23, HomePod mini 2 on Oct. 30, and HomeView with Apple TV 4K on Nov. 13.
- Bloomberg reports new OLED MacBook Pros, M6 Macs and an OLED iPad mini 8 could arrive Nov. 6.
- An Apple retail store reset on Nov. 5 and 6 hints at the timing, but Apple has not confirmed it.
Apple product releases are about to land at a pace the company rarely attempts. According to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, writing in his Sunday newsletter on October 18, Apple is lining up new hardware for four Fridays in a row, starting this week with the iPhone Duo and ending in mid November with a pair of home devices. If the reporting holds, anyone shopping for an Apple phone, speaker, Mac or iPad over the next month will have a fresh option almost every weekend.
Three of those four dates are already fixed, because Apple has opened orders for the products involved. The fourth, Friday, November 6, is the interesting one. That is where Gurman expects new Macs and possibly a new iPad mini to show up, and it is still a rumor rather than a date Apple has announced.
The four Fridays at a glance
MacRumors and AppleInsider both summarized Gurman's report on October 18, and their timelines match. Here is how the month lines up.
Friday, October 23: iPhone Duo
The iPhone Duo, Apple's first foldable iPhone, goes on sale and starts reaching buyers on October 23. Preorders opened the week before, and demand has been strong enough that shipping estimates slipped quickly, as we covered when the iPhone Duo sold out in minutes. The phone starts at $1,999 in the US, which makes it the most expensive iPhone Apple has sold.
Friday, October 30: HomePod mini 2
A week later the HomePod mini 2 arrives. Beebom, summarizing the same newsletter, notes that the speaker runs on Apple's S10 chip, adds a "Sound Glow" light on top and is built to work with the newer Siri. In the US it costs $149.
Friday, November 6: new Macs and maybe an iPad
This is the date Gurman flagged as likely but not locked. According to MacRumors, he expects Apple to release one or more of the following that day:
- MacBook Pro models with OLED displays
- A 14 inch MacBook Pro and an iMac with M6 chips
- An iPad mini 8 with an OLED display
MacRumors joined those options with "and/or," so not every item on the list is guaranteed to ship on the same day, and some could slip.
Friday, November 13: HomeView and Apple TV 4K
The last Friday belongs to the living room. Apple's HomeView smart display and the fourth generation Apple TV 4K both launch on November 13. Both are already open for preorder at $299 each in the US. Beebom describes HomeView as a smart home hub with a 7 inch square screen and an A18 chip, while the new Apple TV moves to an A19 chip.
Why November 6 matters most
Gurman's case for November 6 rests partly on what Apple is doing inside its stores. AppleInsider reports that Apple plans a retail "reset" running from the evening of November 5 into November 6. A reset usually means new signage and a rearranged set of products on the display tables, and AppleInsider says this one "strongly hints" that new hardware will be on sale around that date.
Before anything reaches stores, the products need to be announced. MacRumors points to an earlier report placing that announcement on Tuesday, October 27 or Wednesday, October 28. We wrote earlier this month about reports that Apple's first touchscreen MacBook Pro would be unveiled around October 27, and the new timeline fits that picture: show the machines late in October, then put them in stores roughly ten days later.
What the new MacBook Pro could bring
The headline change is the screen. Several outlets now describe the coming MacBook Pro as Apple's first Mac laptop with an OLED panel that also responds to touch. AppleInsider adds two more details from the reporting: the machine is said to be lighter than current models, and it may swap the notch at the top of the display for a Dynamic Island, the pill shaped cutout iPhone owners already know.
Alongside it, Gurman expects a 14 inch MacBook Pro and an iMac built around M6 chips. Neither Apple nor the reports have shared prices or full specifications, so it is too early to say how much more these machines will cost than the current lineup.
The iPad mini gets OLED too
The smallest iPad may also be part of the November 6 wave. According to Beebom's summary of the newsletter, the iPad mini 8 is expected to use an OLED display and an A20 Pro chip, and to move its front camera to a horizontal position so video calls work better in landscape. AppleInsider reports the same camera change. Beebom also mentions a redesigned speaker system.
Who should pay attention
If you are planning a holiday purchase, the calendar matters more than usual this year.
- Mac buyers. Anyone about to buy a MacBook Pro or iMac has a good reason to wait until the end of October. Even if you do not want the newest model, a launch can shift pricing and stock on the current ones.
- iPad mini fans. The current iPad mini is likely to be replaced soon. Buying it now only makes sense if you need one this week or find a steep discount.
- Smart home shoppers. The HomePod mini 2, HomeView and Apple TV 4K are already fixed with dates and prices, so there is little reason to hold off if you were going to order them anyway.
- Foldable buyers. If you missed the first iPhone Duo preorder window, expect delays. Apple stores may hold limited stock on launch day, but online orders have been pushed out.
Our laptop buying guide covers which specs actually matter if you are trying to decide between waiting and buying a current model.
What Apple has and has not confirmed
It helps to separate what is official from what is reported. Apple has opened orders for the iPhone Duo, HomePod mini 2, HomeView and Apple TV 4K, so those dates are solid. The October 27 or 28 announcement, the November 6 release and the exact list of Macs and iPads all come from Gurman's reporting and the store reset inference, not from Apple. MacRumors framed them as holding only "if this timeframe proves to be accurate."
Gurman has a strong track record on Apple timing, but plans can move. Apple sometimes staggers availability, shipping one model right away and another a few weeks later, so even a confirmed event would not guarantee that every product lands on November 6.
What to watch next
The next clear signal will be an Apple announcement, whether through a press release, a short online video or an invitation. Beebom also notes that Apple reports its fiscal fourth quarter results on November 2, which falls between the rumored product unveiling and the November 6 release window. That call, the first with John Ternus as chief executive according to Beebom, could include early comments on how the iPhone Duo is selling.
For more coverage of new devices as they arrive, follow our gadgets section.
Frequently asked questions
When do the new Apple products come out?
The iPhone Duo arrives October 23, the HomePod mini 2 on October 30, and HomeView with the new Apple TV 4K on November 13. Bloomberg reports that new Macs and possibly an iPad mini could follow on November 6.
Is the touchscreen MacBook Pro confirmed?
No. Apple has not announced it. Bloomberg's Mark Gurman and several Apple news sites report that an OLED MacBook Pro with touch is coming, with an announcement expected around October 27 or 28.
Should I wait to buy a Mac or iPad mini?
If you can wait two or three weeks, it is probably worth it. New models are reportedly close, and launches often bring better options or discounts on older models.
How much do the confirmed products cost?
In the US, the iPhone Duo starts at $1,999, the HomePod mini 2 costs $149, and HomeView and the Apple TV 4K are $299 each. Prices for the new Macs and iPad mini have not been reported.
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