Apple is a company that loves events, and why wouldn’t it? It gives the company the perfect place to showcase its upcoming products, and the livestreams are watched by thousands around the world.
2021 was a busy year for the company; Apple’s Spring Loaded event revealed the new iPad Pro, Apple TV 4K and 24in iMac in April, we got our first look at the latest updates to Apple’s various operating systems at WWDC in June, we saw the reveal of new iPhones, iPads and Apple Watch at the company’s September event and October brought the reveal of the redesigned MacBook Pro range.
Yeah, it was a busy year. And guess what? It’s much the same this year too, with some analysts suggesting 2022 could be one of Apple’s busiest years ever. It all kicked off with the iPad Air 5 and iPhone SE 3 in early March, and WWDC 2022 saw the new MacBook Air alongside new software announcements, but that’s just a taste of what’s to come.
When will the next Apple event take place? What should you expect? Here’s all you need to know about Apple’s upcoming event schedule.
When is the next Apple event taking place?
Following WWDC 2022, which saw the reveal of the iOS 16, iPadOS 16, watchOS 9, macOS 13 Ventura and the new MacBook Air on 6 June 2022, the next big event in the Apple event calendar is in September 2022.
Apple has confirmed that its annual September event will take place slightly earlier this year, on 7 September 2022. The showcase is set to start at 11am PT / 1pm ET / 6pm BST, with some suggesting this could be Apple’s first full in-person event since before the pandemic. With the tagline ‘Far Out’ and a shot of what looks to be a starry night, we could be about to see big improvements to the iPhone 14’s camera setup – but we’ll have to wait and see for sure.
What will Apple announce in September?
September tends to be when Apple hosts its biggest event of the year, with iPhones, Apple Watches, iPads and other wearables appearing in past years – though it seems like it’ll be a bit quieter this year, with rumours suggesting Apple isn’t going to reveal its updated iPad range until sometime in October.
Still, that leaves the big headline product, which of course is the iPhone 14 range.
Rumours currently suggest the iPhone 14 Mini has been replaced by a larger iPhone 14 Max, mirroring the size of the Pro Max without ‘pro’ features. Elsewhere, whispers suggest a holepunch cutout in place of the notch on the iPhone 14 Pro models, and it could be the first year that the new A16 chipset is exclusive to its Pro offering, with the standard models running the same A15 chipset as last year’s models. There are also whispers about huge advances in camera tech, though this again could be exclusive to the Pro models.
Alongside the iPhone 14 will likely be the Apple Watch Series 8, Apple’s new flagship wearable, and possibly even a new rugged Apple Watch focused on outdoor activities. Both have been rumoured over the past few months, as has the Apple Watch SE 2, currently rumoured to replace the ageing Apple Watch Series 3 as Apple’s budget-focused wearables.
Of course, the event will also be where Apple confirms the release dates for its next-gen iOS, iPadOS, watchOS, tvOS and macOS software updates, with release generally within a week or so of the announcement – with the exception of iPadOS 16, which has been delayed.
Upcoming Apple events
Apple tends to host events at the same time every year, making it a little easier to predict when certain products might launch. Although 2020 did admittedly break away from the standard schedule due to COVID-19, we imagine Apple will return to its standard product release schedule from this point.
October 2022 event
Apple tends to round off the year with an event in October (or sometimes November) that focuses on Mac updates. It’s likely where we’ll get our first look at the Apple Silicon-enabled Mac Pro, and if it isn’t revealed beforehand, it’s likely when Apple will launch the redesigned large iMac to match the refreshed 24in model.
It’s also where we’re rumoured to get our first look at the heavily-rumoured iPad Pro 2022 range, complete with Apple’s latest M2 chipset, and Apple’s latest entry-level iPad. It could be a particularly exciting year for the entry-level tablet, with whispers suggesting a significant redesign and a display size increase could be on the way.
Apple also likes to release AirPods at the end of the year, and it fits with the vague rumoured release schedule for the AirPods Pro 2, so it’s possible that we could see the second-gen Pro buds too.