Apple could be heading into one of its busiest hardware stretches of the year, with major smart home products, iPhone Duo, new Macs and an OLED iPad mini all expected to arrive or be unveiled within the next three weeks.
The schedule now appears to fall into three distinct waves: Apple’s confirmed “Welcome home” event on October 13, the iPhone Duo launch on October 23, and a second product presentation reportedly planned on or around October 27.
Taken together, the launches could reshape Apple’s Home lineup, introduce its first foldable iPhone to customers, bring touch input to MacBook Pro for the first time and add M6 updates to both iMac and the 14-inch MacBook Pro before October is over.
Apple’s first wave arrives on Tuesday, October 13. The company has confirmed a “Welcome home” event in New York, with reporting from Bloomberg pointing to three headline products: Apple’s new smart home hub, an updated HomePod mini and a new Apple TV set-top box.
The biggest introduction is expected to be HomePad, Apple’s long-rumored smart home display. The device is expected to combine a roughly square touchscreen with Siri AI, Home controls, FaceTime, shared household information and other features designed around being used by multiple people in a home.
HomePod mini 2 is expected to receive its first major hardware refresh since the original model arrived in 2020, with a newer chip, updated wireless technology, improved sound and support for Apple’s new Siri experience among the rumored changes.
A fourth-generation Apple TV 4K is also expected. Reports point to substantially newer silicon, support for Siri AI and updated networking hardware, while the overall external design may remain close to the current model. The Apple Post has a full preview of what to expect from the October 13 event.
Apple could also use the event to show the wider Home ecosystem it has been developing with LG. New code findings point to iPhone proximity controls and NFC-based setup for LG-branded accessories Apple reportedly helped develop, including a smart lock, thermostat, doorbell and security cameras. Those accessories are expected to be previewed rather than released immediately, with previous reporting suggesting they remain a few months away from stores.
The next major date is Friday, October 23, when iPhone Duo officially launches. Apple has already confirmed that pre-orders will begin one week earlier on October 16 at 5 a.m. Pacific Time and 8 a.m. Eastern Time in the U.S., or 1 p.m. in the U.K.
Apple’s first foldable iPhone starts at $1,999 in the United States and £1,999 in the United Kingdom. The device combines a 5.4-inch outer display with a 7.6-inch folding inner display and is powered by the A20 Pro chip. Our complete iPhone Duo guide covers the hardware, software, pricing and launch details.
Apple’s October hardware run may not end with iPhone Duo. Bloomberg reports that Apple is planning another product presentation on or around Tuesday, October 27, focused on Mac and iPad hardware.
The headline product is expected to be a redesigned MacBook Pro with an OLED touchscreen, lighter enclosure and Dynamic Island-style interface. The launch would mark the first time Apple has shipped a Mac notebook designed for direct touch input. The Apple Post recently detailed the expected redesign.
Apple is also expected to introduce a new iPad mini with an OLED display, moving its smallest tablet away from LCD. Reports also point to a landscape-positioned front camera and redesigned speaker system. Our earlier coverage has tracked the OLED iPad mini’s October launch window.
The same late-October presentation is reportedly set to include an updated 24-inch iMac and an entry-level 14-inch MacBook Pro powered by M6. Both are expected to retain familiar designs, making them more conventional performance updates alongside the much more ambitious OLED touchscreen MacBook Pro.
That distinction could make Apple’s MacBook Pro lineup unusually complex. Apple could effectively launch two different MacBook Pro updates in the same window, with the M6 model keeping the existing design while the high-end OLED models introduce the major hardware changes.
If the reported timing holds, Apple will move from a smart home launch to its first foldable iPhone reaching stores and then into a second Mac-and-iPad presentation in just 14 days. The Apple Post app for iPhone and iPad will have the latest coverage throughout the October launches. Download it from the App Store.