Release date of M4 Macs and iPad mini 7 looks set — here’s what we know

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Mark your calendars for November 1

MacBook Pro 16-inch (M3 Max, 2023)
(Image credit: Tom's Guide)

The M4 Macs and iPad mini 7 both seem like a lock for a launch this year, but nobody has been able to agree on specifically when it’ll happen. Well, the Cupertino crew looks set to follow a tradition started last year.

According to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, Apple is set to make an announcement around the end of October, and launch them on Friday, November 1. This will include all the usual leaked suspects, so let’s get into it.

What will Apple launch on November 1?

The iPad mini 2021

(Image credit: Henry T. Casey)

While it’s up in the air whether Apple will be running a full-blown event for this or just posting blog updates, we’re getting a clear indication of all the things that we’ll be seeing towards the end of this year.

And it all starts with the inevitable M4 MacBook Pro. The iPad Pro has been revelling with M4, so it’s only fair that the laptop gets a turn — coming with M4, M4 Pro and M4 Max options to boot.

Next up, the desktops are getting an update too. The Mac mini is getting a dramatic redesign (think like the hockey puck of Apple TV), and will be packed with either M4 or M4 Pro. And also, the iMac is set to get a spec bump too with a transition to M4.

Finally, it’s time for the iPad mini 7 to finally get its update. While no giant redesign is on the cards (according to rumors and leaks), there will be key updates to the chipset and the display. Namely, we’re anticipating that iPad mini 7 may get the A18 to also support Apple Intelligence, and a new display chip will eliminate the jelly scrolling we saw in the old mini.

What’s coming after that?

Apple Mac Studio M2 on a desk

(Image credit: Future)

But Gurman doesn’t stop there. In fact, he seems to have hit the motherlode, as we have sight of Apple’s plans for the first half of 2025. Let’s break it down what we can expect to see:

  • M4 MacBook Air: 13- and 15-inch models are coming. My prediction would be March, as Apple has been consistent in this laptop’s launch cycle.
  • iPhone SE 4: Ditching the home button and going full-screen with a notch, the new iPhone SE will bring Apple Intelligence to the party. I’d anticipate an announcement time somewhere around late April to coincide with…
  • M3 iPad Air: The 11- and 13-inch Airs are set to get a refresh to the M3 chipsets. Coming alongside these are new Magic Keyboards too.
  • A refreshed AirTag: The humble AirTag has served us well for three years to this point, and it’s time for an upgrade. Not much is known about this so far, but it wouldn’t surprise me if we saw the battery built-in (rather than replaceable) and wireless charging capabilities.

Now it’s time to address the prosumer desktops. What about the Mac Pro and Mac Studio? Well, M4 models are in development, but Gurman says that you’ll have to wait a while — with the Mac Studio coming in mid-2025, and the Mac Pro leading from the rear towards the end of the year.

Whichever way you look at it, this is a stacked slate of announcements coming from Apple over the next nine months!

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Jason England
Jason England
Managing Editor — Computing

Jason brings a decade of tech and gaming journalism experience to his role as a Managing Editor of Computing at Tom's Guide. He has previously written for Laptop Mag, Tom's Hardware, Kotaku, Stuff and BBC Science Focus. In his spare time, you'll find Jason looking for good dogs to pet or thinking about eating pizza if he isn't already.