Apple may have even more product releases coming soon. After three consecutive months of Apple events, a rumor followed by a leaked memo seems to suggest something new will be announced in December. Likely possibilities include the AirPods Studio headphones, smaller AirPods, a new iPhone MagSafe case, the AirTag, or an Apple TV game controller.
Apple has already had three end-of-year events in 2020. In September, the ‘Time Flies’ event introduced two new Apple Watch models, the Series 6 and the SE, along with the iPad Air 4, which is the first device to include the A14 chip. The ‘Hi, Speed’ event came in October, bringing the iPhone 12 series, with four models, a new design, and big camera upgrades. And November’s ‘One More Thing’ event brought exciting changes to the MacBook and Mac mini, the first models to be powered by Apple Silicon, now known as the M1 chip.
But Apple may yet have more products coming this year. Given the incentive to release early enough for holiday shopping, any announcements would be expected to be made soon. A few weeks back, a hint was given by a Twitter leaker, L0vetodream, with a good history of accuracy, indicating that Apple would launch another product in December that would be good for winter. In a much more recent development, MacRumors was tipped off about an internal memo meant for AppleCare service providers. The time and date for new products were given as 5:30 AM Pacific Time on Tuesday, December 8, 2020.
New Apple Products To Expect
This is, of course, speculation. Apple is a large manufacturer with many products in development simultaneously. Taking into consideration the reference to winter made by L0vetodream, AirPods Studio, the over-the-ear headphones could make sense. These are said to have magnetic, removable ear-cups. A design that would be cozy for outdoor winter wear could be a match for the rumor. Another possibility is an iPhone 12 MagSafe case that removes heat from the phone and transfers it to the case. While the purpose mentioned in the patent was to speed operation through cooling, this may also facilitate warmer hands during winter. Alternatively, Apple may release a game controller to enhance Apple TV gaming. Rumors have also circulated of new AirPods and AirPods Pro, though they're expected next year.
Based on previous leaks and rumors, the AirTag seems to be a potential product. This is a bottle cap-sized ultra-wideband location beacon detailed in a recent Apple patent application with a great number of uses. The easiest and most obvious example is to use an AirTag to find lost keys or luggage, but they could also be used for AR gaming and medical uses. An AirTag’s location and orientation in space can be detected by any Apple product containing a U1 chip. That includes the iPhone 11, the iPhone 12, the Apple Watch Series 6, and the HomePod mini. AirTags placed on the body would work well with Apple Fitness-Plus to detect limb position during exercise. At this point, it would not be surprising for Apple to make more product announcements which could come as a press release or another virtual event.
Source: MacRumors