Apple’s October Event: Likely date and product launches

Apple holds events at certain intervals in the year at which it announces new products. The company tends to hold a March or April spring event, the WWDC keynote in June, an event to celebrate the new iPhone launch in September, and a late fall event in October at which it has been known to release new iPads and Macs. The company has even held an event as late as November 10 (in 2020 when it unveiled the first batch of M1 Macs).

Apple introduced the new iPhone 16, Apple Watch Series 10 and AirPods 4 at an event on September 12. Has the company finished releasing new products for 2024? No! We think there are more new products to come and we could see new Macs and iPads at an Apple event in October 2024.

When is Apple’s October event 2024?

Last year Apple held an event on 30 October. Dubbed Scary Fast, probably due to its proximity to Halloween (in fact if you aren’t in North or South America this event will start after midnight on 31 October.) This was quite late for an Apple event (late in the month and late in the day – especially if you weren’t in the U.S.

We hope that the event won’t be another late one, in terms of the hour, but it does look like it might be held in the last week of October. Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman has suggested that the event will happen in late October, with new products launching on November 1. He has also suggested that iOS 18.1 and, by association, macOS Sequoia 15.1 will arrive on Monday October 28.

Over the years Apple has held many second fall events in October (and once in November). It has launched new Macs, iPads, and AirPods at these events. For example, at the 2021 Unleashed event we got the 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro and the third-gen AirPods, while the previous year brought the M1 versions of the 13-inch MacBook Pro, MacBook Air, and Mac mini on Tuesday, November 10.

However, as you can see from the list of October event dates below, Apple does not always hold an October event. Over the past 12 years, Apple has held eight October events, so it’s not unprecedented to skip it.

2023: Monday, October 30
2022: No event
2021: Monday, October 18
2020: Tuesday, October 13 and Tuesday, November 10
2019: No event
2018: Tuesday, October 30
2017: No event
2016: Thursday, October 27
2015: No event
2014: Thursday, October 16
2013: Tuesday, October 22
2012: Tuesday, October 23
2011: Tuesday, October 4

What time will Apple’s October event start?

Apple’s Scary Fast October event in October 2023 started at a different time to the usual 10 a.m. PT. Instead, Apple kicked off the event at 5 p.m. PT. This was a much later time than usual – past midnight in Europe – so we hope for a more appropriate time in 2024.

Usually, Apple events kick off at 10 a.m. in California, which is:

U.S.: at 10 am (PST/PDT), 11 am (MST/MDT), noon (CST/CDT), 1 pm (EST/EDT)
Canada: as above, and 2 pm (AST/ADT)
U.K.: at 6 pm (GMT/BST)
Europe: at 7pm (CET/CEST), 8 pm (EET/EEST)
India: at 10.30 pm (IST)
Australia: Next day at 1 am (AWST/AWDT), 2.30 am (ACST/ACDT), 3 am (AEST/AEDT)
New Zealand: Next day at 5 am (NZST/NZDT)

If Apple sticks with the ‘scary’ timings of 2023, here’s what that translates to around the world.

U.S.: 5 p.m. (PDT), 6 p.m. (MDT), 7 p.m. (CDT), 8 p.m. (EDT)
U.K.: Next day at 12 a.m. (GMT)
Europe: Next day at 1 a.m. (CET)
Canada: 5 p.m. (PDT), 6 p.m. (MDT), 7 p.m. (CDT), 8 p.m. (EDT), 9 p.m. (ADT)
India: Next day at 5.30 a.m.
Singapore and China: Next day at 8 a.m.
Australia: Next day at 8 a.m. (AWST), 10.30 a.m. (ACDT), 11 a.m. (AEDT), 10 a.m (AEST)
New Zealand: Next day at 1 p.m. (NZDT)

Apple’s special events usually last between one and two hours.

How to watch the Apple event

If you want to watch an Apple event live, Apple will stream the keynote on its website and YouTube channel. We will also embed the video above so you can also watch it here.

What will Apple launch at the October event?

Whether there’s an event or not, it is possible that Apple could unveil new Macs and iPads in October. In fact, there are a number of reports predicting that it will do so before the end of the year.

Mac mini with M4 & M4 Pro

The Mac mini may get an update to M4 and M4 Pro, missing a generation and replacing the M2 and M2 Pro Mac mini introduced in January 2023. Some big changes are expected: the Mac mini could be even smaller, but this may mean fewer ports.

More here: M4 Mac mini rumors

MacBook Pro with M4, M4 Pro and M4 Max

It’s been a year since Apple updated the MacBook Pro with M3-series chips, so M4 MacBook Pro models are possible this fall.

More here: M4 MacBook Pro rumors

Mac Studio with M4 Max and M4 Ultra

It’s been more than a year since the M2-series Mac Studio was introduced at WWDC 2023, so we are hoping for a new model in October. However, there are suggestions that the wait could be even longer, with a spring or WWDC 2025 launch predicted.

More here: M4 Mac Studio rumors

Mac Pro with M4 Max and M4 Ultra

Like the M2 Mac Studio, the Mac Pro is overdue an update. But this is another Mac that we could be waiting even longer for. Is Apple back to neglecting the creative pro market? We hope not.

iPad mini with A17

We could see a new iPad mini launch at the October event. Long neglected by Apple and overdue an update. Apple will surely update the iPad mini to run on an Apple Intelligence supporting chip, perhaps the A17 Pro?

Read the latest news about the iPad mini 7th gen.

iPad with A17

It’s also time for an update to the standard iPad. This is another iPad that is due an update to the Apple Intelligence-ready A17 chip.

Read the latest about the iPad 11th-gen.

What did Apple launch at the last October event?

In October 2023 Apple launched the M3, M3 Pro, M3 Max processors. Receiving the new processors were the MacBook Pro, which got all three, and the iMac, which gained an M3 chip. The 13-inch MacBook Pro was discontinued in favor of a M3 variant of the 14-inch model. Read about that event here: Everything Apple announced at the ‘Scary Fast’ Mac event.

Apple didn’t hold an October event in 2022. In October 2021, Apple launched redesigned models of the high-end MacBook Pro, with a 14-inch and 16-inch models making their debut. Powering the new MacBooks were the high-end M1 Pro and M1 Max chips that built on the already impressive M1 chips that arrived in November 2020. The laptops received new designs with slim bezels and extra ports, including MagSafe, HDMI, and an SD card slot.That event also saw Apple unveil the third-generation AirPods, new HomePod mini colors, and a cheaper, Siri-powered Apple Music subscription, Apple Music Voice.