Apple is holding a special event tomorrow in which it could unveil a new MacBook Pro, new Mac Pro, a new iMac Pro and an iPad Pro mini. Here’s how to watch the Apple live stream, plus how to follow our Apple October event live blog and what new hardware to expect.
Also check out what Microsoft has in store the previous day.
How to watch Apple October event live stream
A live stream of the event is available at apple.com/apple-events/october-2016 from 10am PDT/6pm BST on Thursday 27 October.
You can watch it in Safari on an iPhone, iPad or iPod running iOS 7.0 or later, in Safari 6.0.5+ on a Mac running OS X 10.8.5 or later, or in the Edge browser on a Windows 10 PC or laptop. The live stream will also be available via the second-, third- or fourth-generation Apple TV, provided it is running TV OS 6.2 or later.
If these requirements rule you out, you can also catch up on real-time announcements and expert analysis in our Apple event live blog below.
Apple October event live blog
What to expect at Apple’s October event: New MacBook Pro 2016
Apple is tipped to finally unveil an upgrade to its MacBook Pro, which hasn’t seen a refresh since March 2015. As before it’s likely to come in 13.3- and 15.4in models, with prices starting at £999. Key changes are thought to include an upgrade to the processor - potentially Kaby Lake, provided it's available in time - along with a faster GPU, a thinner chassis with a newly designed hinge, the introduction of a gold model, USB-C, a Lightning port for audio and a Touch ID module, plus an OLED bar that takes the place of the function keys to provide customisable controls in select apps.
Read more about the rumoured new MacBook Pro here.
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What to expect at Apple’s October event: New Mac Pro 2016
If you thought we’d been waiting a while for the new MacBook Pro, we haven’t had a new Mac Pro since 2013! While some sources are convinced the Mac Pro has been discontinued, a trusted source close to the company swears blind we will see a new Mac Pro by the end of November. It was - and still is - quite a beast, but its hardware is getting long in the tooth. We’d expect to see processor, RAM and storage upgrades, and there are rumours Apple will include 10 USB ports on the new Mac Pro. Thunderbolt 3 is, of course, more likely, given its faster speeds and compatibility with USB-C.
Alternatively, there are rumours that Apple will replace the Mac Pro with a new iMac Pro.
Read more about the rumoured new Mac Pro here.
What to expect at Apple’s October event: New iMac 2016
Another good tip for Apple’s October event is that it will unveil new iMacs, which were last refreshed this time last year. Best Buy has already accidentally listed a Kaby Lake iMac for sale and, sure, it could be a placeholder, but we’d say it is pretty likely. A new iMac is also expected to feature AMD Polaris graphics (which support VR, something previously not possible on the iMac), and we’d like to see the entire line get Fusion Drive storage as standard. It’s also possible that a new, super-powerful iMac will replace the Mac Pro in Apple’s line-up.
Read more about the rumoured new iMac here.
What to expect at Apple’s October event: New iPad Pro mini
Every single year Apple updates its iPad mini. In 2016 it has not. If that doesn’t suggest a new iPad mini is coming we don’t know what does. However, the new iPad mini could well be known as the iPad Pro mini or iPad Pro 7.9 following Apple’s changes to its iPad line over the past year. A new iPad mini will likely start at £319 and feature a slimmer 5mm Series 7000 aluminium chassis (probably with a Rose Gold option), 32GB storage as standard, a 7.9in Retina display, 3D Touch, Apple Pencil support and, we hope, IP67 waterproofing to match the new iPhone 7. Like that device it’ll more than likely ditch the headphone jack, too.
Read more about the rumoured new iPad Pro 7.9 here.
What to expect at Apple’s October event: Other new hardware
There are also rumours that Apple could update its entire Mac line, with a new MacBook Air, a new 12in (or possibly 13in) MacBook (it was updated in March, though it could see a processor upgrade), and a new Mac mini. You can read more about all these potential new products over on our sister site Macworld.
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