Apple just unveiled some of its biggest products ever with the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus, and the Apple Watch, but the company isn’t done announcing stuff quite yet.
Thursday, the tech world's attention will again be on Cupertino as Tim Cook and Co. announce what’s in store for the Mac and iPad lineups. While last month’s event was big and the company kept everyone guessing right up until showtime, this time around we've got an idea of what to expect.
Last year, Apple introduced the slimmer, lighter, more powerful iPad Air. Based on supply chain reports and Apple's yearly iPad update cycle, we expect the Air to get a few significant upgrades, including the addition of Touch ID for unlocking the device with the press of your thumb, and (soon) using Apple Pay to buy stuff. The second-gen iPad Air also should get a bump up to the A8X processor (a variation on the iPhone 6’s A8), and an improved camera.
The new iPad Air will also reportedly feature an anti-reflective coating on a higher-resolution display. This should make the tablet easier to use in bright sunlight. Apple also could give the device 2 GB of RAM instead of the old 1 GB standard so it can do full-on multitasking. You also can look for it in three colors: silver, space gray, and, of course, gold.
While the iPad Air probably will be the tablet headliner, the iPad mini may get small updates like an improved processor, Touch ID, and the same three glorious colors. A 12.9-inch iPad, thought to be called the iPad Pro, will probably not make an appearance at Thursday’s event as reported manufacturing constraints push its timeline back into 2015.
Apple already spent a lot of time outlining Yosemite at WWDC, so the new OS probably won't get a lot of attention Thursday. Thanks to the public beta and developer previews, we know quite a bit about Yosemite, its new design, and its key features. But now that iOS 8 is also live, perhaps Apple will demo Continuity, Handoff, and iCloud Drive again. And speaking of iOS 8, we could also get a deeper look at Apple Pay, the company's NFC and Touch ID-based payment platform. It's rumored to launch as soon as the 18th, according to a leaked internal memo from Walgreens.
One thing we'll almost certainly get is a release date. Last year, Apple made the free OS X Mavericks upgrade available the same day as its event, so we're betting Apple does the same thing this time around.
And what better to run Apple’s latest operating system on than an ultra-high-resolution iMac? Two years ago, Apple slenderized the iMac. Last year, it got a spec bump. Now, Apple is said to be debuting a Retina version of the iMac. Some reports suggest only the 27.5-inch model will get the upgrade, but others say the 21.5-inch model could see one, too. The larger version reportedly will have twice the resolution of its predecessor, or 5,120 x 2,880 pixels. The iMacs also will get faster Haswell processors and AMD graphics to better support all the 4K video viewing and editing you can do on the machine.
The Mac Mini, which Apple has all but ignored for the past two years, should be getting a refresh. There's not a lot to go on, but the pint-sized powerhouse could use the same Haswell processors that Apple updated the MacBook Pro line with, and would likely get more storage.
While we’d like to see some 4k or 5k Cinema Displays at the event, our sources indicate that's not happening this time around. We also won't be seeing the long lusted-after Retina MacBook Air, so if you’ve been holding out getting a Macbook Air because you're hoping for a Retina version, keep waiting. Apple updated the Air in April, so we could see another small spec bump for laptop. On the other hand, Apple could hold off on any updates until next year, when Intel's new Broadwell processor arrives. That's what we're betting on, given that there are rumors we'll see a 12-inch MacBook Air in mid-2015.
The Apple TV is long overdue for an update, particularly internally. The last time Apple TV hardware got a refresh was mid 2012 (with a small parts update in early 2013). That said, we don't think we'll be seeing much in the way of new hardware at this week's event. But that doesn't mean it won't get an OS upgrade.
Signs in iOS 8.1 beta code (which will likely ship out to iOS users in the coming weeks) indicates that HomeKit will be enabled on Apple TV. HomeKit is Apple's connected home platform that allows iOS 8 devices to control "Made for iPhone" household accessories, and Apple TV would make an excellent hub for controlling these devices. (A new Apple TV has reportedly been in the works for ages, but Apple may be holding off releasing the set top box until it's made deals with cable companies and content providers.) A new Apple TV could also finally allow you to download third party apps.
