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Apple’s iPhone 12 launch is undoubtedly its biggest announcement of the year, but 2020 is not over yet and neither is what we expect from Cupertino. While events can be virtual these days, the new hardware shipping to Apple stores is very real – here are four big things we can still see before the year is out.
6th generation Apple TV
It’s been a full three years since Apple last updated its set-top box, with the Apple TV 4K delivering higher resolution video and increased performance. However, since then, even as we’ve seen tvOS updates and the launch of new TV apps and services like Apple TV +, the core hardware itself hasn’t changed.
Certainly Apple has shown that it can do a lot with the new software. Dolby Atmos support, for example, made it to tvOS 12. Still, there are clearly some areas where improvements could be made.
The remote control is possibly the most significant of them. Apple’s minimalist controller just isn’t that nice to use, especially if you’re trying to focus on the screen and not look at which buttons you’re touching. The addition of the dedicated Siri button helped a bit, but the fact that it’s still easy to get confused in which direction to hold it suggests that Apple could make low-rise ergonomic improvements.
However, the Apple TV box has a host of chipset upgrades that Apple can choose from. Right now there’s the A10X Fusion, dating back to 2017 – it can do things like 2160p, HDR10, and Dolby Vision, but Apple isn’t short of faster chips with better GPUs. That could help turn Apple TV into the game box the company has always wanted it to be.
However, it is in the smart home that a new Apple TV could really shine. The new HomePod mini adds Apple’s U1 chipset, with the Ultra WideBand (UWB) radio enabling hyper-local positioning. It seems like a no-brainer for a new Apple TV, especially considering other products we’re expecting from Apple imminently.
Apple AirTags
AirTags are Apple’s long-rumored entry that repeatedly seeps into the tracking space currently dominated by Tile. They’re expected to be straightforward – small, circular discs that you can place on items that are easily lost, be it a remote control, bag or purse, your keys, or even the dog. Inside, however, is where the magic happens.
Using the same UWB technology, AirTags positioning is expected to be much more accurate than traditional Bluetooth methods. In the meantime, add augmented reality and you could open a “Find My” location app on your iPhone and see exactly where your AirTag-tagged item is in 3D space. In the meantime, with a U1-enabled Apple TV or HomePod mini, you can also ask Siri to find your lost item.
Exactly when AirTags will arrive has been the source of much confusion. The latest talk is that the hardware is ready and you only need the final iOS update to be removed each time Apple decides to pull the trigger. At that point, the fate of AirTags will likely depend on what type of price is attached.
Apple AirPods Studio Headphones
Equally uncertain when it comes to the release date is Apple’s expansion of the AirPods brand into its first set of over-ear headphones. AirPods Studio, as the cans are expected to be called, won’t be your normal headphones, sure. Think part of the customization potential of the Apple Watch that is being incorporated.
That means interchangeable headbands and earmuffs, apparently, with Apple reportedly working on both luxury and sporty designs. Think of the same core wireless technology, or similar, as the current AirPods Pro, taking advantage of Apple’s easy pairing, noise cancellation, and wireless audio sharing, among other things.
However, it is not entirely clear whether or not AirPods Studio will make it to the 2020 launch roadmap. Rivals Bose, Sony and Sennheiser have been the subject of rumors and leaks for months, but launch times have ranged from “any day” and “end of first quarter 2021” with no signs of settling down.
Apple Silicone MacBook
A quarter of the things we most expect to see from Apple definitely has a 2020 deadline. The first Apple Mac to use the company’s internal chip design will be revealed before the year is out, Tim Cook confirmed at WWDC at June, when a two-year process begins to kick Intel and x86 off their computers. As expected, the stakes are high.
The first computer with Apple Silicon technology is expected to be a MacBook. The laptop could end up being a fanless replacement for the ill-fated 12-inch MacBook with a Retina display, or alternatively a reworking of the MacBook Air that is still available now. Either way, think about a slim design and plenty of battery life, as Apple takes advantage of the same chipset expertise that has left its iPad Pro with no power shortages but superior battery performance than the PC.
Beyond that, although likely early 2021 rather than late 2020, it is believed that there will be an Apple Silicon-based iMac. It has been suggested that the all-in-one would focus on the consumer, a timely move given the number of people who need additional computers at home, either for homeschooling or working from home. Apple is already talking about how its own chips would outperform the Intel CPUs it currently relies on – by how much and what kind of price we’ll see in the new Apple Silicon Macs, we’ll know in the future. the next few months, and possibly as early as November.
