An Apple event titled “One more thing” is scheduled for November 10 at 10 AM PST. This marks the third month in a row that new products have been announced. The title hearkens back to Steve Jobs’s keynotes. The late Apple CEO used to make a series of announcements and then say, “One more thing…” before announcing something really spectacular. Here’s my take on what Apple may announce at the event.
Apple Silicon Macs at the Apple Event
At the Apple Worldwide Developer Conference in June, the company announced the migration of the Mac platform away from Intel processors to Apple Silicon. Apple set “fourth quarter 2020” as the target date for the first Apple Silicon Macs, so it’s very likely that at least one new Mac is announced.
What could this new Mac be? Some pundits predict that the 12-inch MacBook may reappear in a new Apple Silicon version. I think that Apple is trying to divide its products into simple “consumer” and “pro” lines. My prediction is that a 13-inch MacBook Air is destined to be the first Apple Silicon Mac.
There may be a hint in the augmented reality Easter Egg included in the online event announcement. As seen above, the AR teaser shows an Apple logo that opens like a MacBook, displaying vibrant glowing colors.
Apple Silicon Mac mini
I’m also going on record as speculating that the company will release an Apple Silicon Mac mini. That’s not surprising, considering that many developers have been using the Developer Transition Kit since June — a Mac mini powered by an A12Z Bionic system on chip (SoC). Those DTK Mac minis are to be returned to Apple at the end of the Apple Silicon transition program.
The iMac line is also overdue for a redesign. Competitive all-in-one desktop machines are much thinner and lighter than the current iMacs. It’s about time for a new iMac line powered by Apple silicon that gets rid of the early 2000s look and feel. Make a new iMac all screen (no metal “chin” below) and incredibly thin, and the public would eat them up. I’d venture that Apple should start with the low end of the iMac line — the 21.5-inch could be dropped for a 24-inch — and move up to 27-inch and iMac Pro models later.
AirTags
Will the long-rumored AirTags finally be announced? Your guess is as good as mine. Apple was expected to announce these location tags at the September Apple Watch and iPad event. When that didn’t happen, it was expected in October at the iPhone announcement. It was a no-show at both events.
AirTags are expected to be small rechargeable discs that can be attached to just about anything. Using Apple’s “Find My…” technology, the tags are added to the device list for an Apple ID. If the tagged item is lost and anyone with an Apple device happens to walk by the tag, the owner is anonymously notified of the whereabouts.
The Release of macOS 11 Big Sur at the Apple Event
This shouldn’t come as any surprise since Big Sur has been in beta since June. The developer release of macOS 11.0.1 was released last week, and despite a few lingering oddities in the beta, it seems robust and fast enough to ship. We’ll show you how to install macOS 11 Big Sur when it arrives.
macOS 11 Big Sur offers a streamlined look and sets the stage for Universal Apps that run on all Apple operating systems. It also introduces a new Control Center and updated Notification Center.
AirPods Studio
I think it’s a long shot, but others speculate that Apple will announce a high-end pair of over-the-ear headphones — AirPods Studio. For those of us who can’t wear earbuds like AirPods and AirPods Pro, this is a welcome possibility. Rumors have the price at $349 and say that the headphones have Active Noise Cancellation and a somewhat “retro” design sensibility.
Be sure to visit The Rocket Yard after the event for one of our usual in-depth looks at all of the announcements.
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Where is my new Apple TV??
I’m looking forward to this event. This is exactly the kind of thing that gets a, “one more thing,” event. Imagine the possibilities. Apple has been building laptop class chips for a while yet and have parts of the CPU dedicated to AI. Apple is no longer restricted by Intel’s schedule. Apple plans on replacing all their Macs with their own chips. I don’t doubt they can replace the Mac Pro, just by looking at the current server class ARM chips. The power saving will be large, considering all the Macs there is and will be. I still think they could rerelease the Apple TV as a Mac.
Apple Silicon, a Mini, or an OS upgrade are only a sliver of the magic that used to be Jobs’ “One More Thing”s. Using that magic phrase for such unexciting events as you list (except for internal Apple) would be a slap in the face to the past glories that used to accompany it.
What about the Mac Pro? Is it even possible to release it based on ARM (Apple Silicon) instead of Intel x86? I mean, with same or more performance, of course.
I’m so sick of all the pundits complaining the current iMac is outdated.
There’s nothing wrong with the current look; if Apple wants to make them “all screen” that’s their thing, but that also means worse sounding speakers and having to clean the screen most every time you adjust the angle.
If you don’t want to buy a current iMac, and “all screen” version isn’t going to suddenly cause you to drop $3K.