How to watch the Apple event — start time and what to expect

Apple Unleashed takes place oct 18
(Image credit: Apple)

The Apple event is happening now, so you'll want to know how to watch the Apple “Unleashed” event. In the meantime, you can also follow our Apple Unleashed event live blog for all the big announcements happening at the second Apple keynote of the fall.  

We’re expecting two new MacBook Pro 2021 laptops powered by a powerful M1X chip, a new Mac mini and possibly AirPods 3. But the new MacBooks should steal the show, as they’re tipped for a full redesign with mini-LED displays, slimmer bezels, more ports and other upgrades. 

Here's what you need to know about the Apple Unleashed event and where to find a live stream.

Apple event start time  

Apple's Unleashed event gets started at 10 a.m. PT today (Monday, October 18). That's 1 p.m. ET and 6 p.m. BST. Apple's virtual events tend to run an hour or so. The company's September event ran around 90 minutes, but that iPhone-centric event packed in a lot of product announcements.

How to watch the Apple event — live stream options

The easiest way to tune into Apple's Unleashed event is to follow along on YouTube. We've embedded the YouTube video above so that you don't have to go searching for how to watch the Apple event.

In addition to YouTube, you can also watch the Unleashed event from Apple's homepage. If you've got an Apple TV, the event will stream in the TV channel on that set-top box.

What to expect from the Apple event

We expect Apple to release two new MacBook Pros in the MacBook Pro 2021 14-inch and MacBook 2021 16-inch, both with powerful new M1X chips. Both machines are tipped to offer brighter and more colorful mini-LED displays. 

Interestingly, Mark Gurman of Bloomberg reports that the new MacBook Pro will also have a new design, the first in five years. Fans are hoping for the return of MagSafe charging and more ports, although we'll have to wait to see if that pans out. 

A last-minute MacBook Pro 2021 rumor says there’s a notch in the new MacBook Pro design to house the webcam (a la the iPhone) but that seems a bit far-fetched, even for Apple.

There's also a very good chance of the Apple AirPods 3 making an appearance. We're expecting a design with shorter stems and touch controls, as well as interchangeable silicon eartips. Though we're not banking on active noise cancellation. 

It's also expected that the Mac mini will too be present at this month's event. Not only is it rumored it have the latest in Apple silicone, making it a compact number-crunching machine at a good value, but there could also be a sleek new design, forgoing the all-aluminum finish of current models.

In Gurman's Power On newsletter, he claims that the new Mac mini have four total Thunderbolt ports. And noted leaker Jon Prosser of Front Page Tech also claims that the Mac mini will use a "plexiglass" top and will have a magnetic power connector like with the iMac 2021. 

Be sure to tune in to our Apple event live blog for all the latest news. 

Imad Khan

Imad is currently Senior Google and Internet Culture reporter for CNET, but until recently was News Editor at Tom's Guide. Hailing from Texas, Imad started his journalism career in 2013 and has amassed bylines with the New York Times, the Washington Post, ESPN, Wired and Men's Health Magazine, among others. Outside of work, you can find him sitting blankly in front of a Word document trying desperately to write the first pages of a new book.