Hold off buying a Mac! Apple tipped to launch new computers next week

If your laptop or desktop computer is on the blink you might want to wait a week or two before buying a new one. Apple is rumoured to be about to announce updates to its famous iMac and MacBook line up that should see improvements across the board right in time for the busy Christmas buying rush.

Bloomberg is reporting that Apple plans to unveil a brand new 24-inch iMac that would be an update to the last model that came out in April 2021. That version saw Apple add a powerful M1 chipset to its iconic desktop machine along with a radical redesign with colour options that reminded us of the classic see-through ‘90s iMac launched by Steve Jobs.

It’s now been two years since that update, which is longer than Apple usually waits before giving welcome power upgrades to its Mac - it’s said that Apple had planned to release a new iMac sooner, but changed its plans. It could be the time Apple decides to reveal its long-awaited M3 chip.

The report points out iMacs and MacBook Pro models are in short supply at Apple Stores and on Apple’s online store, suggesting the MacBook Pro could also be about to get updated, with a Mac launch event supposedly planned for next week on either Monday 30 or Tuesday 31 October.

“If you try to order the products from Apple’s website, several configurations won’t arrive until mid-November. That several-week delay is a clear sign that something is about to happen,” Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman said. A new Mac event could happen just before Apple’s quarterly earnings come out on 2 November when the tech giant will reaffirm it is one of the most valuable companies in the world.

We’ve loved the latest 14-inch MacBook Pro with M2 Pro chip ever since it debuted earlier this year - so it’s probably too early to see an update to that machine. But Apple still sells a 13-inch MacBook Pro with an older design, and the company could be looking to breathe new life into the smaller machine. It hasn’t been updated since June 2022, same as the M2 13-inch MacBook Air, the cheaper laptop option from Apple.

A bit like the iPad, Apple’s MacBook line up is quite confusing and it’s hard to know which laptop is best to buy when you consider the whole range, with an assortment of designs, specs, and prices between the MacBook Air and MacBook Pro. Hopefully when new products are announced it makes it a bit easier to decide which one you should buy.

There was a rumour that turned out not to be true about new iPads launching this month too - instead Apple released a new Apple Pencil, meaning it now sells three different styluses for its iPad range, just to add to your tablet confusion.