Apple product announcement tipped for December 8 — what to expect

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A leaked AppleCare memo suggests that there could be a hardware announcement from Apple soon

Apple Event Sept. 15
(Image credit: Justin Sullivan via Getty Images)

Maybe there's one more One More Thing coming from Apple in 2020. According to a new leak of an internal Apple memo, the company has told service providers that AppleCare changes will be coming next Tuesday, December 8.

These sorts of changes, as MacRumors reports, have historically coincided with product announcements. And in this case, the time will be 8:30 am ET. That's about the same time Apple has announced some products via press release — without an event attached.

Recent Apple products announced via press release have included the 13-inch MacBook Pro in May 2020 and the second-gen AirPods in March 2019.

So what could Apple possibly announced on Dec. 8 after three big events this year that saw the launch of the Apple Watch 6, iPhone 12 and MacBook Air M1? Our bet is on AirTags, a new kind of product tracker that leverages Ultra Wideband to help locate your items. We've heard that AirTags will work with an augmented reality app as well.

However, it's possible we could also see the launch of Apple's first over-ear headphones in the AirPods Studio. The AirPods Studio are expected to offer active noise cancelling and challenge the very best headphones from Sony and Bose. Other leaks point to swappable parts and a retro-like design. 

We've also been hearing rumors about a new Apple TV 4K, which may come with a new gaming controller to better take advantage of the wide range of titles available in Apple Arcade. You can also count on a faster new Bionic chip inside.

If this rumor is legit, then we will bring you all the news as it happens next Tuesday. There likely won't be a virtual event at this stage; the products will just appear in the Apple Newsroom and in the Apple Store. Stay tuned.

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Mark Spoonauer
Mark Spoonauer

Mark Spoonauer is the global editor in chief of Tom's Guide and has covered technology for over 20 years. In addition to overseeing the direction of Tom's Guide, Mark specializes in covering all things mobile, having reviewed dozens of smartphones and other gadgets. He has spoken at key industry events and appears regularly on TV to discuss the latest trends, including Cheddar, Fox Business and other outlets. Mark was previously editor in chief of Laptop Mag, and his work has appeared in Wired, Popular Science and Inc. Follow him on Twitter at @mspoonauer.