Bloomberg's Gurman reveals what we should expect from Apple next year

Now that the iPhone 15 series has been introduced and pre-orders started, another year of new Apple devices is coming to an end. There have been rumors that Apple might sneak in the release of the next iPad Air iteration, although TF International analyst Ming-Chi Kuo has already warned us not to expect any new iPad models until next year. And speaking of next year, Mark Gurman of Bloomberg fame gives us a look at what to expect from Apple's camp in 2024.

The first device on Gurman's 2024 list is the Vision Pro. The release of Apple's spatial computer marks the beginning of the company's journey to find the device that will eventually replace the iPhone. Smart glasses are probably still number one on everyone's list, but Apple will need time to whittle the product down to the size of a pair of eyeglasses. Once released early next year, the Vision Pro will draw the curious to the Apple Store just to check out the $3,499 device and other Apple products might benefit from this attention.

Although Apple most certainly won't reveal actual Vision Pro sales numbers, it probably will include revenue derived from the device under "Wearables, Home and Accessories." Nonetheless, it would be interesting to know how many units get snapped up next year.

Next on the list is the Apple Watch X, or the 10th anniversary Apple smartwatch. Besides a re-design, new health-related features are expected possibly including a blood pressure sensor although the latter might have to wait for 2025. The eagerly awaited non-invasive glucose monitor seems to be still a few years away. Gurman writes that Apple is working on a health-coaching service that uses AI as it continues to build features to monitor and improve the health of its customers.

While tablet sales have lagged since the "end" of the pandemic, the iPad Pro will get its first redesign in five years says Gurman. The long-awaited transition to OLED screens (11 inches and 13 inches) will take place, and the Magic Keyboard will feature a case with a metal top matching Apple's laptops. Macs will be transitioning to the 3nm M3 chip and the models mentioned by Gurman that are expected to get the M3 include the MacBook Air and the MacBook Pro. Other Macs will also be equipped with the latest Apple Silicon.

Sure, it seems crazy to talk about next year's iPhone models when this year's iPhone 15 series has yet to ship (to be fair, that will start to take place next Friday), but the truth is, some consumers want to know whether they should buy this year's phones or wait until next year. And Gurman notes that the iPhone 16 Pro models are expected to get larger screens. We've noted that the iPhone 16 Pro's rumored 6.2-inch or 6.3-inch OLED display could be large enough for it to get its own periscope lens next year while the iPhone 16 Pro Max (or Ultra) could feature a 6.9-inch OLED panel.

And the last item on Gurman's 2024 list is Artificial Intelligence. He says that Apple is scheduled to join the other tech giants with a generative AI tool. Gurman has previously written about an internal tool known inside Apple as "Apple GPT" and the company has "Ajax," its own large-language model.

It sounds like a busy and eventful year coming up for those who favor the Apple ecosystem. Once the Vision Pro release is done, attention will turn, as it always does, to the next iPhone series. But there are other products besides the iPhone. Next year, iPad Pro fans should have the opportunity to upgrade and enjoy OLED displays. The 10th anniversary Apple Watch is also something to look forward to, and we should see more powerful Macs.

While it isn't exclusively an Apple topic, we also should hear more about TSMC's 2nm process node which might find its way into the iPhone by 2026 or 2027. So let the ball in Times Square drop. Even though 2023 still has 3 and a half months left, we're ready for whatever happens next year.