Will Apple Release New Macs Soon? [Oct 30 Update: M3 iMac, MacBook Pros Unveiled]

Update: Apple at its "Scary Fast" event on October 30 announced an updated M3-powered 24-inch iMac, as well as new 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models with M3 series chips.


Apple often releases new Macs in the fall, but we are still waiting for official confirmation that the company has similar plans this year. We're in the latter half of October now, and if Apple plans to launch Macs before the holidays, recent history suggests it will happen this month. Here's what we know so far.

spring 2022 possible macs
It's been over 130 days since Apple released a new Mac, the last being M2 versions of the Mac Pro, Mac Studio, and 15-inch MacBook Air, all of which arrived in June. Prior to that, in January, Apple released ‌M2‌ Pro and ‌M2‌ Max versions of the 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro, alongside new M2-powered Mac mini models.

Meanwhile, the 13-inch ‌MacBook Air‌ and 13-inch ‌MacBook Pro‌ haven't been updated in over 460 days, and the iMac hasn't seen an update in more than 900 days (Apple unveiled the M1 24-inch ‌iMac‌ way back in April 2021). It's these last three models that are most due updates, but that's not to say Apple will prioritize them for updates over other Macs.

If you look at the last decade, Apple often holds an annual fall event in which it launches new Macs and iPads. While Apple that didn't happen last year, there were October events in 2013, 2014, 2016, 2018, 2020, and 2021.

Bloomberg's Mark Gurman recently claimed that Apple is likely planning a Mac-related launch event this month that will take place on either Monday, October 30 or Tuesday, October 31.

The well-connected reporter's prediction is based on information obtained from sources with apparent knowledge of Apple's plans, as well as the fact that some existing Mac models are in short supply online and at Apple retail stores.

Gurman notes that several configurations of Apple's 24-inch ‌iMac‌, 13-inch ‌MacBook Pro‌, and 14-inch and 16-inch ‌MacBook Pro‌ are facing shipping delays running into mid-November. This several-week delay alone is "a clear sign that something is about to happen," says Gurman.

Another reason leads the reporter to believe a Mac announcement will happen next week: Apple's earnings call is due to take place on Thursday, November 2. The last time the company posted its quarterly results in the month of November was in 2018, and that followed an October 30 launch event that saw new iPads and Macs.

So what can we reasonably expect this October?

Mac Pro, Mac Studio, MacBook Air

It's worth repeating that Apple this year has already updated the ‌Mac Pro‌, ‌Mac Studio‌, and 15-inch ‌MacBook Air‌. These updates were released in June 2023, so there is little chance that they will be superseded by newer models before 2024.

However, Apple has not yet updated the smaller 13-inch ‌MacBook Air‌ this year. This model was originally announced in June 2022, so there is scope for a refresh soon. According to Bloomberg's ‌Mark Gurman‌, the 13-inch ‌MacBook Air‌ could be one of the first beneficiaries of Apple's new M3 chip, but it remains unclear if this upgrade will arrive in late 2023 or early 2024.

Mac Mini, 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro

Apple updated the 14-inch and 16-inch ‌MacBook Pro‌ with ‌M2‌ Pro and ‌M2‌ Max chips in January, and until recently most rumors suggested refreshed models would be coming coming next year. For example, Gurman in early October claimed that new 14-inch and 16-inch ‌MacBook Pro‌ models featuring M3 Pro and M3 Max chips would likely launch between early 2024 and the spring.

More recently, however, Gurman has said he believes there is a chance we will see new 14-inch and 16-inch ‌MacBook Pro‌ models announced at the end of this October. This would be somewhat of a surprise, given that Apple only updated its premium MacBook Pros in January 2023. But as Gurman notes, "an additional update the same year would be unusual, but not inconceivable."

Notably, a DigiTimes report earlier in October claimed that Apple is preparing to release new 14-inch and 16-inch ‌MacBook Pro‌ models with more power-efficient mini-LED displays before the year is out. Given that Gurman has said the new ‌MacBook Pro‌ models could include "minor improvements to displays," the DigiTimes report could well be accurate.

As for the ‌Mac mini‌, Apple updated the machine with ‌M2‌ chips in January 2023, while M3-powered models are not expected to emerge until late 2024 at the earliest, according to Gurman.

iMac, 13-inch MacBook Pro

That leaves the ‌iMac‌ and 13-inch ‌MacBook Pro‌. Apple's 24-inch ‌iMac‌ was refreshed with a new design, ‌M1‌ chips, and new color options in April 2021. While the ‌‌iMac‌‌ did not receive an upgrade to the ‌M2‌ chip this year, a refreshed model with the M3 chip is expected to launch soon. Gurman believes the ‌iMac‌ is the most likely contender to see an update in late October.

The 13-inch ‌MacBook Pro‌ was updated with the ‌M2‌ chip in June 2022, so this is another model that could see an upgrade, possibly as soon as this month.

On the other hand, supply chain analyst Ming-Chi Kuo in September claimed that Apple is unlikely to release any new MacBook models with the M3 chip this year. More recently, in October, Kuo also said that the 24-inch iMac would be updated next in 2024, seemingly ruling out an update to the all-in-one desktop computer this year.

Summing Up

New Macs 2023
As things stand, we could well see at least one Mac before the end of the year, with an announcement potentially arriving in very late October. A new ‌iMac‌ may feature Apple's as-yet-unannounced M3 chip, which is expected to bring significant performance and power efficiency improvements compared to the current 5nm-based ‌M2‌ chip, which debuted in June 2022.

Given that Apple launched new 15-inch ‌MacBook Air‌, ‌Mac Studio‌, and ‌Mac Pro‌ models in June, the first beneficiaries of the new M3 chip are likely to be the next ‌iMac‌ and/or 13-inch ‌MacBook Pro‌, with an outside chance that Apple will announce M3-powered 14- and 16-inch ‌MacBook Pro‌ models this year.

Lastly, MacRumors received information in early October indicating that Apple was preparing to accept some of its latest Mac models for trade-in, suggesting it may be proceeding with plans to release new Mac models. Whether this correlates with the launch of at least one new machine in October however remains to be seen.

Popular Stories

AirPods Pro 3 Mock Feature

AirPods Pro 3 Just Months Away – Here's What We Know

Friday April 18, 2025 5:16 am PDT by
Despite being more than two years old, Apple's AirPods Pro 2 still dominate the premium wireless‑earbud space, thanks to a potent mix of top‑tier audio, class‑leading noise cancellation, and Apple's habit of delivering major new features through software updates. With AirPods Pro 3 widely expected to arrive in 2025, prospective buyers now face a familiar dilemma: snap up the proven...
iphone 17 air dummy unbox therapy

iPhone 17 Air's Extreme Thinness Demoed in New Video

Tuesday April 22, 2025 10:22 am PDT by
Apple plans to release an all-new super thin iPhone this year, debuting it alongside the iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Pro, and iPhone 17 Pro Max. We've seen pictures of dummy models, cases, and renders with the design, but Lewis Hilsenteger of Unbox Therapy today showed off newer dummy models that give us a better idea of just how thin the "iPhone 17 Air" will be. The iPhone 17 Air is expected to be ...
iphone 17 dummies sonny dickson

iPhone 17 Air Almost as Thin as Its Buttons, New Images Show

Thursday April 24, 2025 2:14 am PDT by
If you missed the video showing dummy models of Apple's all-new super thin iPhone 17 Air that's expected later this year, Sonny Dickson this morning shared some further images of the device in close alignment with the other dummy models in the iPhone 17 lineup, indicating just how thin it is likely to be in comparison. The iPhone 17 Air is expected to be around 5.5mm thick – with a thicker ...
ipad air windows 11 arm

M2 iPad Air Runs Windows 11 ARM via Emulation, Thanks to EU Rules

Tuesday April 22, 2025 5:01 am PDT by
A developer has demonstrated Windows 11 ARM running on an M2 iPad Air using emulation, which has become much easier since the EU's Digital Markets Act (DMA) regulations came into effect. As spotted by Windows Latest, NTDev shared an instance of the emulation on social media and posted a video on YouTube (embedded below) demonstrating it in action. The achievement relies on new EU regulatory...
iphone 16 pro models 1

17 Reasons to Wait for the iPhone 17

Thursday April 17, 2025 4:12 am PDT by
Apple's iPhone development roadmap runs several years into the future and the company is continually working with suppliers on several successive iPhone models simultaneously, which is why we often get rumored features months ahead of launch. The iPhone 17 series is no different, and we already have a good idea of what to expect from Apple's 2025 smartphone lineup. If you skipped the iPhone...
iOS 18

iOS 18.5 Includes Only a Few Changes So Far

Monday April 21, 2025 11:00 am PDT by
Apple seeded the third beta of iOS 18.5 to developers today, and so far the software update includes only a few minor changes. The changes are in the Mail and Settings apps. In the Mail app, you can now easily turn off contact photos directly within the app, by tapping on the circle with three dots in the top-right corner. In the Settings app, AppleCare+ coverage information is more...
iPhone 17 Pro Blue Feature Tighter Crop

iPhone 17 Pro Launching Later This Year With These 13 New Features

Wednesday April 23, 2025 8:31 am PDT by
While the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max are not expected to launch until September, there are already plenty of rumors about the devices. Below, we recap key changes rumored for the iPhone 17 Pro models as of April 2025: Aluminum frame: iPhone 17 Pro models are rumored to have an aluminum frame, whereas the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro models have a titanium frame, and the iPhone ...

Top Rated Comments

NoelWalker Avatar
20 months ago
It’s about time for the iMac to get some love Tim ;)
Score: 28 Votes (Like | Disagree)
HackMacDaddy Avatar
20 months ago

Gimme my 32inch 6k iMac. Wallet is ready
It's beyond me why we don't even have a 27" version. I know a couple of people who will not upgrade untill the screen gets bigger
Score: 25 Votes (Like | Disagree)
-BigMac- Avatar
20 months ago
Gimme my 32inch 6k iMac. Wallet is ready
Score: 18 Votes (Like | Disagree)
-BigMac- Avatar
20 months ago

It's beyond me why we don't even have a 27" version. I know a couple of people who will not upgrade untill the screen gets bigger
I'm still running the 27" 2020 5k, due to the 24" being just too small.
I am a sucker for resolution, and it feels like Apple (atleast for the short term) wanted to force users like myself either down the Mac Mini/Studio Display or the Mac Studio/Studio Display route.

Call me stupid.. but I like the All-in-One form factor.

I tried the Mac Studio/Studio Display combo for a week... still prefer the iMac :(
Score: 15 Votes (Like | Disagree)
uptownnyc Avatar
20 months ago

At this point, I believe it when I see it. Gotten tired of this long standing rumour. Rumour has it "this"... rumour has it "that".

You realize you'd posting to a site named MacRumors, right?
Score: 11 Votes (Like | Disagree)
SamRyouji Avatar
20 months ago
At this point, I believe it when I see it. Gotten tired of this long standing rumour. Rumour has it "this"... rumour has it "that". Sigh...cue Adele's song?
.
All I want is a 27" or 32" iMac and a new 12" MacBook (MacBook SE ?). Oh, and comes in RED. Like, the bright and fiery iPod nano Product(RED).
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)