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That Apple will unveil new devices on October 13th is now considered a certainty. What remains unclear is the platform. One of the most prominent Apple observers believes that revealing a completely new product via press release is out of the question – and the events of October in recent years provide arguments for both approaches.
According to Bloomberg, Apple plans to unveil the HomePad, HomePod mini, and Apple TV 4K on October 13th. The report doesn't specify the format. John Gruber, author of the Apple blog Daring Fireball, expects a presentation to take place.
Gruber had already suggested October 13th as a possible date before the Bloomberg report, explicitly as a thought experiment. In a subsequent post, he explains why the hub needs its own presentation.
Key Takeaways
- According to Bloomberg, the unveiling of HomePad, HomePod mini and Apple TV 4K is planned for October 13th; the report does not specify the format.
- John Gruber believes a simple press release is out of the question because the Hub is a new device with a new interface.
- In the past six years, there have been three events in October and three times only press releases.
- At the last two October events, there were six days between the invitation and the presentation.
Why the Hub needs a stage
Gruber's argument is simple: The hub is not a successor to a known device, but a new product category with its own user interface. Such a device cannot be introduced simply through a newsroom announcement, he writes. A keynote video and an event for the media, where they can try out the device themselves, are necessary.
The argument focuses on the Hub. According to Bloomberg, the HomePod mini and Apple TV 4K will receive faster chips and new colors, but no new design – Apple has regularly refrained from a separate presentation for such updates in recent years.
What the Octobers of recent years show
Since 2020, Apple has introduced new devices every year in October or at the end of October, but in two different forms.
| Year | Format | Date | New devices (selection) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | Event | October 13 | iPhone 12, HomePod mini |
| 2021 | Event | October 18th | MacBook Pro with M1 Pro and M1 Max, AirPods 3, HomePod mini in new colors |
| 2022 | Press releases | October 18th | iPad Pro with M2, 10th generation iPad, Apple TV 4K |
| 2023 | Event | October 30 | Macs with M3 chips |
| 2024 | Press releases | October 28th to 30th | MacBook Pro, iMac and Mac mini with M4 chips |
| 2025 | Press releases | October | MacBook Pro and iPad Pro with M5 |
Two of the three devices thus have their own history. The HomePod mini was unveiled in a presentation on October 13, 2020, exactly six years to the day before the date now mentioned. The current Apple TV 4K, on the other hand, was released in 2022 via press release, along with two iPads.
When would an invitation arrive?
For the October events in 2021 and 2023, Apple sent out the invitations six days in advance: on October 12 for October 18, 2021, and on October 24 for October 30, 2023. If the October 13th date were the same, an invitation would fall on Wednesday, October 7th.
This is based on two precedents, not a hard and fast rule. If no invitation arrives by the middle of next week, the press release option is preferable.
The idea with the test devices
Gruber connects the date with a second consideration. On October 13th, Apple could personally hand over the iPhone Duo to selected testers, instead of sending out a new device by mail before its market launch. This date is ten days before the sales launch on October 23rd and three days before pre-orders begin on October 16th.
This is also explicitly Gruber's assumption. The format of October 13th is irrelevant for the pre-order of the duo; the date is fixed.
A new category deserves more than just a notification
I find Gruber's argument compelling. The hub comes with its own user interface, which is much easier to demonstrate in a video than in press photos. The fact that the HomePod mini and Apple TV 4K are also running is more fitting for a shorter presentation than for three separate announcements.
The last October event of 2023 was an online presentation, streamed on Apple's website and on YouTube. I expect Apple to take the same approach for October 13th: a pre-recorded presentation followed by an event where selected media outlets can try out the devices themselves.
However, a dedicated presentation would raise the bar for the Hub itself. Anyone introducing a new category needs to demonstrate its purpose – especially at a time when Siri AI doesn't yet speak German.
Is a press release with a product video enough for you when it comes to a new Apple device, or do you want to see a proper presentation before making a decision? Share your prediction for October 13th in the comments.
