From the Vision Pro to the iPhone 15, 2023 has been a busy year for Apple. But 2024 is shaping up to be even busier. Here’s everything we expect to see over the next 12 months, from a complete iPad series refresh to a smart Siri.
No tech brand manages to whip up quite the frenzy around new product launches like Apple. Whether it’s a lavish event streamed live to millions or a simple press release, there’s generally huge interest in what Apple has ready to hit shelves.
In 2023 we’ve seen updates to the iPhone, two iterations of the MacBook Pro and a whole load of new Apple Silicon. But what can we expect in 2024?
The year of the iPad
Apple has released a lot of tech in 2023: iPhones, MacBooks and updated AirPods to name just a few. It even revealed its first entrant in a whole new product category with the Vision Pro.
A product line that was left completely dormant though was the iPad – but it looks like that will all change in 2024.
Rumours suggest that we could see a complete refresh of the iPad range next year, with the base model, Air, Pro and often forgotten Mini all getting some form of an update. How large that upgrade will be looks to depend very much on the version, with the Mini, for instance having to settle for a processor bump and little else.
Bigger updates should be in store for the Air and Pro models, though. For the first time, we could be getting a duo of iPad Air sizes, with a new 12.9-inch model joining the current 10.9-inch version.
For the Pro, it’s all about the display upgrades, with OLED panels – the screen tech used in both the iPhone and Apple Watch – set to make a debut on an Apple tablet for the first time.
M3 in everything
Apple launched the M3 family of chips, along with the first machines to be powered by them, on Halloween and the silicon is set to make quite an impression over the next 12 months. We’d expect it to arrive next in the MacBook Air refresh, while it would make sense for Pro iPads to get it too.
Both the Mac Mini and Mac Studio will likely get M3 updates too, and we haven’t heard about an M3 Ultra variant that could sit in an updated Mac Pro.
iPhone 16 – and a new SE?
The iPhone 15 series is only a few months old and each model came with some very welcome refreshes. The Dynamic Island made its way from the iPhone 14 Pro to the regular iPhone 15, while the iPhone 15 Pro switched from aluminium to titanium and added in the Action Button. USB-C also replaced Lightning, a very welcome change.
If this cadence were to continue, it would make sense for the Action Button to arrive on all models with the iPhone 16, and it’s time for a high-refresh screen to be more than a Pro feature. We’d also like to see the Pro Max exclusive telephoto lens available on both Pro models.
Rumours about the iPhone 16 are thin on the ground, though expect this to change swiftly as we approach the likely September launch.
An updated budget-focussed iPhone SE refresh would make sense too – ensuring the whole iPhone line charges via Lightning.
USB-C everywhere
Apple has slowly been adding USB-C to its products for years now. However with the iPhone 15 and AirPods Pro now using the port, Lightning’s time is really limited.
Rumours have suggested the AirPods Max will be updated in 2024 with USB-C, while Apple surely must ditch Lightning from its bevvy of Mac accessories including the Magic Mouse and Magic Keyboard.
Vision Pro hit the shelves
Apple announced its first mixed-reality headset named Vision Pro, alongside the operating system that’ll power it, during WWDC. It also confirmed it was aiming for an early 2024 launch in the USA, with other regions getting their chance before 2024 is done.
While we haven’t heard too much surrounding the new product since that initial reveal, it’ll likely dominate headlines when it does hit stores in the next few months.
A smarter Siri
Ai has been the buzzword of 2023, with Chat GPT, Google and Microsoft all pushing the tech forward. It looks like Apple could get in on the action in 2024, with a smarter Siri paired with an iPhone with better microphones. Little is known at this stage, but huge improvements to Siri arriving with iOS 17 wouldn’t be a surprise.
