Apple is reportedly squeezing in yet another surprise launch before the month is done

The OLED iPad mini may be closer than we thought, since it appears Apple has two separate rounds of launches lined up for October. That's on top of the iPhone Duo arriving on October 23, so this month is shaping up to be one of Apple's busiest in years, and likely one of the priciest for its fans.

Apple's October 13 home launch now has company

Bloomberg's lead Apple reporter Mark Gurman reported last week that Apple plans to unveil an all-new smart home hub, a new HomePod mini and a new Apple TV 4K on Tuesday, October 13. Now, a new report claims Apple has a second set of launches planned for the final week of October, citing multiple sources familiar with the matter.

The exact lineup for that second wave isn't known yet, but Macs are the likely candidates. That includes the long-rumored OLED MacBook Ultra (most likely the touch-screen MacBook Pro we looked at recently), a base 14-inch MacBook Pro with an M6 chip and an M6 iMac.

Then there's the OLED iPad mini, rumored to pack an A20 Pro chip and a landscape front camera, and it's still unclear which of the two waves it'll join. Gurman has a long track record on Apple's release timing, and the outlet behind the second report tends to be reliable on Apple too, so I'm taking both seriously.

How Apple tends to handle October launches

It should be noted that Apple doesn't always hold an event in October. The last iPad mini arrived through a press release on Apple's Newsroom on October 15, 2024, with pre-orders opening that same day, and Apple spread its new iMac, Mac mini and MacBook Pro across three days of announcements later that month instead of holding one keynote.



However, a brand-new product category usually gets more of a stage, and Apple held an online-only event for its M3 MacBook Pro models on October 30, 2023. That's why I'm guessing the home hub gets a proper video event on October 13, while the Macs likely take the quieter press-release route.

On the rival side, Apple's home hub would walk into a category Google has left alone for a while. Google's last smart display, the second-gen Nest Hub, came out back in March 2021, although the company has hinted a new one built around Gemini is on the way, while Amazon refreshed its Echo Show lineup for Alexa+ last year.

If you already own an Echo Show or Nest Hub, there's no reason to worry, since Apple's hub will only make sense in a home already built around iPhones.

Who should hold off on an iPad mini or Mac

If you were planning to grab an iPad mini, Apple TV, HomePod mini, MacBook Pro or iMac during this week's Prime Day sales, I'd wait a couple of weeks, since all of them appear to be due for a refresh.

Why I'm watching October 13

I'm most curious about the home hub, since it's Apple's first real attempt at a product like this after years of rumors.

Personally, I'd love to see the OLED iPad mini show up alongside the home hub on October 13, so we're not left guessing until the very last week of the month.

More on Apple's busy October:

• Why the touch-screen MacBook Pro could borrow the MacBook Air's best trick
• Everything we know about the OLED iPad mini
• Apple iPhone Duo

• Follow me on X and Threads

Trade in your old phone for cash at ecoATM!

Recycle your used phone and get instant cash. Find out how at ecoATM!

Check at ecoATM