Will There be an October Apple Event?

Apple is expected to unveil a range of new products this month, including a refreshed HomePod mini, Apple TV, iPad mini, MacBook Pro and even an all-new home hub device. So, will Apple host an October event?

Bloomberg has already reported that Apple could be launching three new home devices on Tuesday, 13th October. In that report, Mark Gurman said:

Apple Inc. plans to make its long-delayed push into the smart-home market on Oct. 13, marking a critical product expansion for the company under new Chief Executive Officer John Ternus.

Gurman seems very certain new products are coming in two weeks’ time, but did not disclose if there would be an event in that report from late September.

However, we have since had a follow-up from Gurman in his weekly Power On newsletter where he finished by saying:

Apple is planning to hold an event on Oct. 13 to unveil its long-awaited smart home hub with a screen, the new HomePod mini and an updated Apple TV. All three devices will have Siri AI at the core.

Notably, he directly mentions an event could take place on the 13th of October. So where are the media invites, event logo and other marketing materials for this product launch?

2-week notice

Apple usually gives a two-week notice for its Apple Events. For example, in late August Apple officially announced its iPhone event date and sent out invites to the media and press ahead of the 9th of September.

If Apple were holding a major event like this on the 13th of October, we would usually already have a confirmed event date and media invites from Apple. Currently, this date is 9 days away with no word from Apple.

Small-scale event?

This is expected to be a launch focused on the Home and TV category, which currently has just three products and very little share of Apple's annual turnover.

The HomePod and Apple TV are vastly different from the iPhone, which sells hundreds of millions of units each year and is Apple's best-selling product. Therefore, Apple could launch last-minute invites this coming week and potentially less attendees.

Media-only event

The event Mark Gurman is referencing could just be an event for content creators, press and members of the media at various locations across the world, such as at Battersea in London, in New York City and China.

Apple has done this sort of thing before, such as when they launched the M4 generation of iMacs, MacBook Pros and Mac minis in 2024. These were not accompanied by a livestream from Apple Park, but instead were short form videos released to YouTube.

Similarly, in March of this year, Apple launched a flurry of new devices including the iPhone 17e and the all-new MacBook Neo via Press Release and small events at locations across the world.

It could be a similar story for the rumoured 13 October launch in less than two weeks’ time.

Mark Gurman could have got the date wrong

Another possibility is that Mark Gurman's claim that Apple is launching new products on the 13th of October is wrong, and that the launch is actually coming later.

This would line up with past October Apple Events which usually come later in the month, such as when Apple hosted its 'Scary Fast' event on the 30th October in 2023.

However, I find it hard to imagine that Gurman would make such a big claim to thousands of readers without truly believing the products will launch on this date.

The 13th of October date does make sense this year, as it gives Apple chance to announce these new products just days ahead of iPhone Duo pre-orders, and potentially launch all it's new devices on the same date; the 23rd October.

Everything Apple's take

The most likely outcome at this point in time seems to be a media-only event on the 13th October, alongside press releases from the Apple Newsroom, new product pages on apple.com and product adverts posted to YouTube.

A full-scale Apple Park event seems too much for just three products which are not major categories at Apple, especially since the much more popular MacBook Air, MacBook Neo and iPhone 17e didn't warrant an Apple Event in March.

Whatever happens, Everything Apple will be here to cover all product announcements, as they happen. Make sure you're subscribed to notifications to never miss an Apple launch.