Apple has sent out a surprise invite to what appears to be the livestream of a product launch event with few details beyond the words “Scary Fast.”
The invite, which arrived on Tuesday, promises an online event on October 30 at 5pm PT, or at 12pm GMT / 11am AEDT on October 31. Beyond that, there are virtually no details, although we can assume Apple will stream from its California headquarters. We can also make educated guesses about everything we’ll see on Halloween night.
Large on the invitation is an iconic Apple logo that, besides being largely black and backlit, is reminiscent of Apple’s first product line: the Mac. Naturally, the words “Scarily fast” tie in with that idea. By the way, there’s a period after the “Scary Fast” that seems intentional, as if, at least as far as Apple is concerned, this is the last word on speed.
Rumors have been circulating for weeks about the possible introduction of the long-awaited M3. This piece of Apple Silicon is expected to potentially power a brand new iMac (24-inch), possibly new Mac Minis, and a MacBook Air. MacBook Pros will likely remain on M2 Pro chips until Apple unveils a possible M3 Pro perhaps in the WWDC 2024 timeframe. However, Apple watcher and respected analyst Ming-Chi Kuo believes this we should expect an M3 MacBook Prowhich contradicts his original prediction that a MacBook Pro update would arrive in 2024.
By the way, there’s clear evidence from Apple that it’s all about the Mac. Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman noted that the invite logo on Apple’s events page changes to macOS’s Finder icon (see below).
As for what we can expect from the M3 chip, Apple has been tight-lipped on the matter, but most rumors and industry watchers point to a bigger generational performance leap than what we got from the M2. It should be a 3nm process chip, which above all promises much better efficiency while still delivering industry-leading performance.
If you’re unsure whether these are Macs, the Apple logo will change to the Mac Finder icon on the events page on Apple’s website. pic.twitter.com/JwdTWIs7CvOctober 24, 2023
What we’re generally looking at here is another rapid online product and innovation rollout with Apple’s latest Apple Silicon and the systems, possibly three, that will run on it.
It’s unlikely that Apple’s October event will feature any other side products or updates. Few expect an Apple TV Plus content update or new streaming hardware. However, there is an outside chance that the many iPad rumors we’ve heard in recent weeks will also materialize in the form of an iPad Pro (perhaps 14 inches) with the expected new M3 chip.
Whatever Apple launches on October 30, TechRadar will bring it all to you live. So get ready to park yourself in front of a TV connected to Apple TV, YouTube, your best iPhone, or your best iPad so you can join in on all the Apple fun. Don’t worry, you can do this while you’re still working on your Halloween costume. Maybe someone will go for an M3 chip.