October will be busier than expected for Apple fans. First, on October 13th, the focus shifts to home devices, followed two weeks later by new Macs and an iPad mini. In between, the iPhone Duo launches. Here's what's confirmed, what's just rumored, and for whom the wait is worthwhile.
So far, Apple has only confirmed the first date: marketing chief Greg Joswiak announced on X an event under the motto "Welcome home" on October 13, to which Apple has invited media to New York. What is to be shown there, like almost everything else, is based on reports. Bloomberg had named the date along with three devices for the home on September 30 and followed up on October 8 with a second round featuring Macs and an iPad mini for the last week of October. The teaser for the "Welcome home" event does not show a single product, only two people embroidering the Apple logo.
Key Facts at a Glance
| Detail | Expectation |
|---|---|
| October 13, 3:00 PM CEST | Apple confirms "Welcome Home" event in New York |
| Devices on October 13th | Smart home hub with display, new HomePod mini, new Apple TV 4K (according to Bloomberg) |
| Around October 27th | MacBook Pro with OLED touchscreen, MacBook Pro and iMac with M6, iPad mini with OLED (according to Bloomberg) |
| Form of the second round | Unknown, the Mac innovations for 2024 were announced via press release. |
| Scheduled by Apple | iPhone Duo: Pre-order October 16, on sale October 23; Mac Studio with 512 GB RAM late October |
October at a glance
| Date | What | Status |
|---|---|---|
| October 13 | "Welcome home" appointment: Home appliances | Appointment confirmed, device reported |
| October 16 | iPhone Duo: Pre-order | Confirmed by Apple |
| October 23 | iPhone Duo: Sales launch, shipped with iOS 27.1 | Confirmed by Apple |
| October 25 | Switch to winter time in Germany, Austria and Switzerland | – |
| around October 27th | new Macs and iPad mini | reported |
| end of October | Mac Studio with M5 Ultra and 512 GB RAM | announced by Apple |
Apple set the two release dates for the iPhone Duo at the presentation in September, meaning there are 44 days between the presentation and the sale.
October 13: Home appliances
The event begins at 9 a.m. local time in New York, which is 3 p.m. in Central Europe. Both the US and Central Europe are still observing daylight saving time on this day, with the usual six-hour time difference. Bloomberg mentions three devices, and the motto fits: "Welcome home" was the title of a 2018 Apple short film about the HomePod.
Smart home hub with display
The most important device is a new product category: a roughly six-inch square display for controlling Apple Home, reportedly called the HomePad. It is expected to be available as a tabletop model on a metal stand and as a wall-mounted model, both powered by USB-C and without a battery. A front-facing camera will recognize who is standing in front of it and hide personal content from guests.
Older reports mentioned a seven-inch screen instead of six; the Bloomberg figure is the more recent. According to the code found, the chip is the A18, and the price is estimated at around $350. Internally, the desktop and wall-mounted models of the Apple HomePad are reportedly codenamed J490 and J491, respectively.
HomePod mini
The HomePod mini is set to keep its design but get a faster chip for Siri AI and new colors. Apple's own code already shows the device as "HomePod mini 2" in five colors: green, pink, blue, white, and black. The first HomePod mini arrived in October 2020, so a successor would be due after six years. The larger HomePod 3, on the other hand, does not appear in the current reports about October 13.
Apple TV 4K
The Apple TV 4K is also set to remain unchanged on the outside. A product image in Apple's code labels the new Apple TV 4K as "Apple TV 4K (4th generation)," and an earlier finding points to a chip from the A19 generation. According to reports, it will also get more RAM and Apple's own N1 wireless chip. The current model dates from 2022. The code in tvOS 27.2 also prepares Apple Intelligence for the Apple TV.
Around October 27th: new Macs and iPad mini
Bloomberg speaks of an unveiling "on or around" Tuesday, October 27. The report does not name an exact date or format. As early as October 5, MacRumors, citing its own sources, had reported two rounds of product launches in October, the second starting in the last week of October, though without naming any devices.
Regarding reliability: Bloomberg relies on sources familiar with the plans. The paper correctly cited October 13th eight days before Apple's invitation. However, the expected launch of the touch-enabled MacBook this year has been repeatedly postponed, from early April 2027 to October or November.
MacBook Pro with OLED touchscreen
The biggest topic of the second round is a 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro with an OLED display, touchscreen, and, for the first time, a Dynamic Island instead of a notch. Reports also refer to this model as the MacBook Ultra. It is expected to be lighter than current models and will run on the M5 Pro and M5 Max, the same chips as the current MacBook Pro. Accordingly, the code in macOS 27.2 is already preparing for touch gestures on the Mac. According to earlier reports, the OLED touch panel for the MacBook Ultra will be supplied exclusively by Samsung.
MacBook Pro and iMac with M6
In addition, the 14-inch MacBook Pro as the entry-level model and the iMac are expected to receive the M6 processor, both retaining their current design. A redesigned entry-level MacBook Pro is not expected until 2027. The M6 would therefore debut in the more affordable devices, while the new MacBook Pro models with touchscreens will retain the M5 generation.
iPad mini with OLED
The iPad mini is expected to feature an OLED display, a side-mounted FaceTime camera, and redesigned speakers. Bloomberg makes no mention of the refresh rate. A Korean leaker suggests a fixed 60Hz refresh rate, which would not include ProMotion. However, this is simply repeating his own statement from July; it's not independent confirmation. Regarding the chip, Apple code from September points to an A20 Pro in the iPad mini 8.
Mac Studio with 512 GB RAM
One date comes from Apple's own announcement: With the return of the 512GB option for the Mac Studio, the configuration with M5 Ultra will follow at the end of October, about five weeks after the other models.
Press release or presentation
There are two precedents for the second round. In 2023, Apple unveiled the MacBook Pro and the iMac with the M3 processor on October 30th in an evening presentation that began at 1 a.m. in Germany. In 2024, the iMac, Mac mini, and MacBook Pro with the M4 processor were released between October 28th and 30th via press release. I expect the 2024 release schedule to follow because Apple has already scheduled a separate media event for October 13th.
If a presentation does take place, a different time will apply than on October 13th: Central Europe switches to winter time on October 25th, while the USA does not until November 1st. Therefore, in the last week of October, the time difference to New York will be five hours instead of six.
For whom the wait is worthwhile
Those who operate a smart home with Apple Home will receive the most interesting new product of the month on October 13th. One issue is dampening the excitement in Germany: Siri AI currently only speaks English. Apple has announced French, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese, and Spanish for October, but not German. For a device that is primarily operated by voice, this is the real hurdle for buyers in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland.
For MacBook Pro and iMac, it's worth waiting until the end of October, as both lines are due for a change, according to Bloomberg. Until then, the current Mac models and their prices remain unchanged, as does thecurrent iPad lineup. If you're eyeing an iPad mini, wait for the second generation, as OLED would represent the biggest leap forward for the smallest iPad in years.
October 13th is already the second date within five weeks in the Apple events calendar for 2026, following the keynote on September 9th with the first foldable iPhone.
What's on your list: a smart home hub for the living room, a MacBook Pro with a touchscreen, or an iPad mini with an OLED display – and would the lack of German language support in Siri AI deter you from buying the hub? Let us know in the comments what you're waiting for.
