New Apple products predictions 2020
We explore the rumours and discuss which new Apple products might appear next, including new iPhones, iPads and Macs and their release dates. Find out what Apple is coming out with in 2020.
by Karen HaslamApple held three big events in 2019, and launched a lot of new products, but there are plenty of rumoured Apple products still be unveiled that we expect to see in 2020.
In this article we'll take a look at what we can expect from Apple in 2020. We've donned our prognostication hats and investigated every rumour and trend we could find to bring you our predictions for the new decade. Read on to find out what could be in store, from new iPhones, iPads and Macs, enhancements to the software, and some exciting news in terms of music and TV.
What else will Apple release in 2019?
Apple has confirmed that the Pro Display and Mac Pro will launch in December and it seems that you'll be able to order your new Mac Pro on 10 December. Here's what you need to know:
Mac Pro
Apple revealed the new Mac Pro on stage at WWDC 2019 and said the new machine would go on sale in the autumn. We're not sure what Apple's definition of autumn is, but now the company has indicated a 10 December shipping date. Based on the launch on the Mac Pro back in 2013 it's possible that the majority of the new units won't ship until January 2020 or even February though (just as was the case in 2013/14).
The new Mac Pro returns the look of Apple's most powerful computer to the look of the 'cheese grater' first generation Mac Pro after the second generation 'trash can' version that has just been retired.
Available with 8-28 cores and specs that elevate it above the iMac Pro, the Mac Pro (confused?) will cost from $5,999.
When? December 2019
New Apple display
Alongside the new Mac Pro, Apple revealed a new 6K display that costs $4,999 - and another $999 if you want a stand for it. Read more about the new Apple display here.
It's got a jaw-dropping price to match the Mac Pro, but the market for it is very niche.
As for when it will arrive, well it will be at the same time as the Mac Pro, so 10 December.
When? December 2019
New Apple Products 2020
That's probably it for 2019 - Apple could always surprise us by sneaking out a press release announcing a new iPad Pro or before the end of 2019, but that seems unlikely. There are a lot of products we expect to appear in 2020, read on to find out what's in the pipeline...
If you are interested you can find out when is the next Apple event here.
iPhone SE 2
Apple discontinued the smaller iPhone SE in September 2018, leaving many iPhone fans complaining about the lack of a small and cheap iPhone handset. There are those who feel even the 4.7in iPhone 8 is too big.
It's no surprise therefore that there are calls for Apple to launch an iPhone SE2, a follow up to the 4in iPhone SE model that was first introduced back in March 2016.
Every time we think that its days are numbered a new rumour surfaces about the new iPhone SE, so maybe it has a future. If the new model launches it is likely to adopt the slightly larger design of the iPhone 8 along with upgraded internals such as the A11 chip and a more powerful camera.
There are even reports that it could get an iPhone X-style look, but we're not sure Apple is ready to bring Face ID to its entry-level iPhone just yet.
Read more here: iPhone SE 2 release date
When? Spring 2020
iPad Pro
Apple updated the iPad, iPad mini and iPad Air in 2019, but the iPad Pro didn't get a look in. That's not a complete surprise, the Pro doesn't always see a yearly update, but it does suggest that we will definitely see a new iPad Pro in 2020. We estimate a spring launch for a new model with an updated processor and improved cameras.
You can find out more about what's expected from the New iPad Pro here.
When? Spring 2020
Apple TV
On 1 November 2019 Apple launched its new TV+ service via which it will deliver new TV shows and movies. It seems likely that the Apple TV set-top-box will see a revamp. We may even see a cheaper Apple TV stick launch, which could help Apple get its content out to the masses.
Although as more and more TV manufacturers add support for AirPlay 2 to their sets, maybe there will be no need for the Apple TV set-top box in the future.
When? Spring 2020
StudioPods
Apple is said to be working on some over-the-ear headphones to join its AirPods, AirPods Pro and the standard EarPods.
Read all the news about the StudioPods here.
When? Spring 2020
HomePod 2
There's one more *Pod hopefully coming our way. We expect Apple to update the HomePod - although it's not really clear what the company could do to improve the speaker, other than make it cheaper.
There are rumours that Apple could launch a smaller, cheaper HomePod in a bid to better compete with Amazon and Google. A cheaper device would certainly help it sell a few more of the Siri-powered speakers.
Alternatively, a Siri-powered Beats speaker could make an appearance.
Or Apple could give up on the HomePod and push Apple Music on to competitor smart speakers - Apple Music is already compatible with the Amazon Echo, for example. Read: How to get Apple Music on Amazon Echo.
Here's everything we know about HomePod 2.
When? Spring 2020
MacBook Air
The MacBook Air was updated in July 2019. However, this was a minor update. There was actually no change at all to the spec (aside from the addition of True Tone, a screen feature).
It seems that July 2019 was more of an opportunity for Apple to drop prices across the range (by £100/$100) and remove the old-style Air from sale in the run up to Back To School shopping season.
The surprise was that while Apple claimed the update went some way to make improvements to the keyboard, which has suffered well publicised problems (read about the problems with the current keyboard here), the keyboard still uses the butterfly mechanism thought to be the root of the issues.
It is likely that 2020 will bring a new MacBook Air with a new keyboard. Apple has already introduced a new-style keyboard on the 16in MacBook Pro, so we expect it to role that out to other Mac laptops. But we would be surprised to see it before WWDC in June.
When? WWDC 2020
Mac mini
The Mac mini saw some much-needed love at Apple's October 2018 event. Featuring a new Space Grey finish, the new Mac mini continues its theme of packing a lot of power into a tiny package.
There was no update to the Mac mini in 2019 so the minute Mac is surely due an update in 2020? You can read about the next Mac mini here.
When? WWDC 2020
Mac with Apple-made processor
It's long been rumoured that Apple plans to eventually stop relying on Intel's processors, bringing processor development in house. The company already makes the processors for the iPhone and iPad, and some secondary processors for Macs (the T2 chip, for example), but 2020 could see Apple launch its first Mac with an Apple CPU.
Back in 2018 there were rumours that Apple is planning to use its own chips in Mac computers beginning as early as 2020.
This new Mac could potentially run iOS alongside macOS.
Read more about this project, or projects, which have codenames of Star and Kalamata here.
When? WWDC 2020
AR Glasses
Apple's made clear its interest in augmented reality, and we may hear more about Apple's plans to make Apple AR Glasses in 2020!
While the rumours suggest we won't see Apple's AR product until 2021 or 2022, it's possible that Apple may share its plans with developers at WWDC in an attempt to get them to design apps for the new device.
When? WWDC 2020
5G iPhone
There should be a big change coming to iPhones in 2020. Apple is said to be set to introduce 5G-capable iPhones.
We have lots of information about Apple's plans for a 5G iPhone, and a roundup of all the iPhone 12 rumours.
When? September 2020
iOS 14
We expect Apple to announced iOS 14 at WWDC. We can only imagine the new features that could arrive with the next version, which is likely to arrive on iPhones in September 2020.
When? September 2020
iPadOS 14
In 2019 Apple created a new operating system for the iPad called iPadOS. We can expect much more from this interface in the future, perhaps it will become more and more like the Mac...
When? September 2020
macOS 10.16
Twenty years after Apple unveiled Mac OS X maybe it's time for the Mac operating system to get a new name. How about macOS 11? Or a complete merger of the iPad and Mac operating systems. We'll wait to find out!
When? October 2020
tvOS & watch OS
Not to forget Apple's other two OSs. Apple will also reveal updates to tvOS and watchOS 6 at WWDC 2020.
When? September 2020
Apple Car
The Apple Car was the hot rumour of 2016, but it's since emerged that Apple has scaled back its ambitions on this front but something is definitely happening in the motoring field. The company is said to have had up to 1,000 developers working on the so-called Project Titan, and to have set up various different front companies, including Faraday Futures and Sixty Eight Research.
Industry chatter suggests 2020 is a possible date for a launch - which sounds crazy to us. But, if this is correct, it might be worth holding back on upgrading to your existing run-around until then.
When? Depends... Is it really a car or just software?