Top Apple Event Predictions the Rumor Mill Got Right (and Wrong)
Credit: Apple
Apple on Tuesday hosted its second fall products event, where the company introduced several new Mac, iPad Pro models, accessories and more.
In the run-up to the presentation, we’d covered a multitude of rumors, leaks, and analyst predictions concerning the new products Apple might've had in store for us. And as we expected, the company’s second event was just as packed with surprises and new announcements as its first.
Continue reading to learn more about the rumor mill’s top hits and misses from Apple's October 2018 event.
7 New MacBook Air (Correct)
Back in February, the well-connected TF Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo was first to predict that at some point before the end of 2018, Apple would introduce an affordable refresh of its 13-inch MacBook Air, with prices possibly starting out around $799.
On Tuesday morning, Apple jumped right in and fulfilled Kuo’s prediction by taking the wraps off its powerful, advanced and stunning new 13.3-inch MacBook Air offerings.
Notably, the new machines pack a ton of next-generation upgrades like Retina displays, third-generation Butterfly keyboards, eighth-generation Intel Core i5 CPUs and Touch ID featuring Apple’s advanced T2 chip and security enclave.
But while the new MacBook Air is certainly more advanced than its predecessor, the machine isn’t quite as “affordable” as Kuo speculated. The base-model starts at $1,199, with prices ranging well up into the thousands for some custom configurations.
6 New Mac mini (Correct)
Also confirming an earlier prediction by Kuo, which was corroborated by multiple other sources in recent weeks, Apple finally updated its four-year-old Mac mini desktop on Tuesday with a model boasting tons of exciting new advancements and feature upgrades.
Most notably, Apple's new Mac mini features performance improvements of up to five times that of the October 2014 model, which is made possible by Intel’s 8th-generation dual-, quad- and six-core processors, Thunderbolt 3 connectivity, and user-expandable RAM up to a whopping 64 GB.
Aesthetically, the new Mac mini looks almost identical to its predecessor, but is available now in an all-new Space Gray finish just like Apple's super-expensive iMac Pro. It’s available to order starting at $799.
5 New iPad Pro Models (Correct)
It was back in February when Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman published an in-depth report covering Apple’s rumored 2018 iPad Pro upgrades, which according to supply-chain sources cited at the time, would include a litany of enhancements like a redesigned iPhone X-inspired chassis, nearly edge-to-edge displays with TrueDepth camera, A12 Bionic CPUs and much more.
Like clockwork, Apple confirmed nearly every rumor and leak which surfaced in the months since, by introducing two stunningly-redesigned and ultra-powerful new iPad Pro models. They feature 11- and 12.9-inch displays, respectively, with super-thin bezels and a front-mounted Face ID camera taking the place of Apple’s iconic Home button.
They also feature a PC-grade assortment of powerful components like an octa-core A12X CPU, 7-core GPU and advanced Neural engine, further confirming some of the more fine-detailed rumors about the tablets.
4 New Apple Pencil (Correct)
Amid the publication of a highly-technical patents describing its futuristic ‘ultrasonic’ gesture-based technology, Apple went ahead and took the wraps off its second-generation Apple Pencil stylus — which features a number of innovative new gesture and connectivity features — to complement its new iPad Pros.
Notably, the new Apple Pencil can magnetically attach to the side of Cupertino's 11- and 12.9-inch iPads — not only for the purpose of wirelessly charging-up directly through its external housing, but also to enable a suite of new ‘tap-based controls’ for advanced input.
3 AirPower Announcement (Wrong)
One of the eleventh-hour rumors leading into Apple’s event was the revelation that its 3-in-1 wireless charging pad, AirPower, would finally be made available after failing to make an appearance at September’s iPhone XS event.
Sadly, while it was announced over a year ago and rumored for release at multiple points since, we’ve still yet to see or hear a peep about Apple’s proprietary Qi-based wireless charging solution - though an influx of similar, just-as-capable wireless charging rigs are already out there for those who can't wait any longer.
2 AirPods 2 Announcement (Wrong)
Based on previous reports, we were hoping to see Apple showcase its long-rumored AirPods 2 refresh at Tuesday’s event. But, in similar fashion, the company's second-generation truly wireless earbuds also failed to make a showing.
1 2019 and Beyond
Apple’s event was packed with surprises and a number of exciting new product announcements, but those who were hoping for more — perhaps a refreshed iMac, modular Mac Pro, or other upgraded Apple product like a Magic Keyboard with OLED Touch Bar — might be feeling a bit ‘short-changed’ right now.
Fortunately, while Cupertino may have officially wrapped-up with its new product announcements for 2018, the coming years hold a wealth of looming milestones, special project completions and highly-anticipated product announcements from categories yet unheard of in the tech-space.