What to expect at the Apple event in October, possibly new M2 iPad Pro, M2 Macs and entry-level iPad

Apple’s upcoming hardware event in October is rumored to feature the rest of Apple’s upcoming hardware like the M2-powered iPad Pro, the 10th-generation entry-level iPad, the M2-powered 14-incch and 16-inch MacBook Pro, the M2-powered Mac mini and the M2 Ultra/Extreme Mac Pro.

M2-powered iPad Pro

Just like with the latest MacBook Air, now powered by the second-generation M1 chip, called M2, the M1-powered 11-inch and 12.9-inch iPad Pro models are also due to receive the M2 upgrade as well. Not only will the new iPad Pro models receive M2 chips, they are also rumored to support MagSafe charging. While the chassis of the next iPad Pro is expected to remain largely unchanged, it is rumored to receive four-pin connectors on both the top and bottom edges.

Entry-level 10th-gen iPad

Apple’s next entry-level iPad has been the subject of many articles so far this year, many expecting a total overhaul of the design and updated internal hardware while retaining its market leading price of $329 when in launches at the rumored October event. Here is everything we know so far about Apple’s latest and least expensive iPad in the lineup.

According to alleged schematics published by MySmartPrice, the 10.2-inch entry level iPad will be replaced with a new 10.5-inch iPad, powered by the A14 Bionic, feature optional 5G and a USB-C port for the first time. The A14 Bionic received a 30 percent performance boost over the A13 Bionic that powered the iPad Air 4 and iPhone 12 and the newer chip will help to further conserve battery life. Apple will need to add more RAM to this model if the company wants to support the new iPadOS 16 multitasking feature Stage Manager. Both the iPhone 12 and iPad Air 4 have 4GB of RAM, Apple says however that the Stage Manager feature requires the M1 chip and 8GB of RAM. As a recap, Stage Manager is a new feature coming with the iPadOS 16 update this fall that enables users to open and interact with multi app windows at once.

Additionally, the schematics show what the new iPad could look like. The design brings the entry-level iPad up-to-date while retaining its beloved circular Touch ID button but getting a decidedly more up-to-date look, renders based on schematics.

While nearly all of the current iPhone and iPad models currently available support 5G, the cellular versions of the 9th-gen iPad still only support LTE. We can presume however that with the inclusion of the A14 Bionic, Apple’s first 5G supported chip, that the 10th-gen iPad will support 5G as well as an optional Wi-Fi + Cellular model.

The design will also feature upgraded audio with the addition of a quad speaker setup. The camera looks like it may be getting an upgrade of sorts, although details are currently scarce. It looks like it will retain the single camera sensor but the camera bump will now include the microphone hole. It looks like the iPad will also lose its headphone jack too. As mentioned above, this new iPad will feature USB-C, bringing it in-line with the rest of the iPad model lineup.

While the design of the iPad is getting a major update the display looks like it will by very similar to the 9th-generation iPad, but could grow from 10.2-inches to 10.5-inches, matching the size of the very first iPad Pro that still featured a Touch ID home button. Given current economic circumstances, the current $329 price of the entry-level iPad could increase by the time the 10th-generation model launches this fall, marking the first time this has occurred since the launch of the cheaper parts bin model. It isn’t currently clear if there will be more than 2 colors at this time since the current lineup includes just silver and space gray.

Mac mini powered by M2

Along with the MacBook Air getting the M2, and the iPad Pro expected to get the M2, Apple’s latest Mac mini is also expected to be updated with the M2 and possibly the higher-end M2 Pro.

14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro powered M2 Pro and M2 Max chips

Other Macs slated to receive M2 upgrades are the 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models which Mark Gurman has said is expected this fall. But as always, that timeframe prediction could be pushed back due to supply chain disruptions. Both the M2 Pro and M2 Max are expected to feature modest performance improvements and perhaps unified memory.

Mac Pro powered by M2 Ultra and M2 Extreme chips

The newly designed Mac Pro is rumored and likely to feature the upcoming M2 Ultra and M2 Extreme chips according to Gurman. The new Mac Pro is expected to feature a smaller chassis mainly due to Apple’s switch to Apple Silicon. Being that the fastest Mac currently is the Mac Studio, the upcoming Mac Pro is sure to be even faster.

Upgraded Apple TV

A new Apple TV is on the way according to Min-Chi Kuo and according to Mark Gurman, it will feature an A14 Bionic and 4GB RAM instead of the current A12 Bionic and 3GB of RAM. Currently, Apple sells the Apple TV 4K for $179 which is still overpriced compared to a Chromecast or Roku available from anywhere from $25-$100, making the Apple TV wildly of pace. Being that the Apple TV 4K also doubles as a sort of game console, giving the unit more power would be a great addition for Apple Arcade subscribers.