5 Apple Products You Can Expect Next
Rumors Or Realities?
Lately it's seemed like Apple has been cutting loose more product lines than it has been introducing. Displays and routers were two that Apple abandoned in 2016, and Apple's desktop line has seen little in the way of refreshes in recent years. "Get Focused" may have replaced "Think Different" as the mantra for the Cupertino, Calif.-based company. So what is Apple focused on in 2017, then? What do the Apple rumors suggest is coming next for products? We'll give you a hint -- a re-imagined iPhone, plus updated products for both mobile and desktop computing.
In the following slides, we've rounded up five new products that we're expecting Apple to launch in 2017.
iMac
Apple's all-in-one desktop offering, the iMac, last got updates in October 2015. That means the 21.5-inch version features processors that are two generations old at this point (fifth-gen Core processors). The 27-inch version, meanwhile, features sixth-gen Intel processors. Apple CEO Tim Cook has singled out the iMac among the desktops that Apple is most focused on, and rumors point to the debut of an iMac refresh in the spring -- possibly including spec upgrades such as seventh-gen Intel Core processors (Kaby Lake) and AMD Polaris graphics chips.
MacBook
Also rumored to be getting an update in the spring is Apple's MacBook, the 12-inch consumer-oriented laptop that has been an area of focus for Apple since its debut in March 2015. The MacBook got its first update in April 2016 -- with Intel's sixth-gen Core M processors, faster graphics performance and an extra hour of battery life -- and rumors suggest another MacBook update is coming right on schedule in the next few months. Chief among the upgrades would likely be seventh-gen Intel processors for the MacBook (in the seventh generation, Intel Core i Y-series processors replace the Core M series). Meanwhile, well-known Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo of KGI Securities has predicted the new MacBook will come in a 16-GB RAM configuration, up from the current 8 GB of RAM.
iPad
So far, the rumors are all over the map about timing and model specifications for new iPad launches, but all agree that 2017 will see something new in the iPad sphere. The latest rumors suggest the second half of 2017 as timing for the launches, and as many as three new models in 9.7-inch, 10.5-inch and 12.9-inch display sizes. Rumors suggest the 12.9-inch model would be part of the iPad Pro line, while the 9.7-inch model would not. The 10.5-inch model may also be an iPad Pro -- with the current 9.7-inch iPad Pro being replaced by an iPad Pro with a 10.5-inch, edge-to-edge display (and no home button). The rumor mill also points to the possibility of faster new A10X processors for the 10.5-inch and 12.9-inch tablets, to succeed the current A9X generation of processors.
MacBook Pro
Apple may be looking to counter some of the criticisms of the 2016 MacBook Pro refresh with more updates in 2017. The latest rumors suggest the new MacBook Pros (both 13-inch and 15-inch) will be outfitted with seventh-gen Intel Core i processors in the fall. That should help not just with speed, but also with improving the less-than-stellar battery life reported by many users. Apple has also taken some heat for maxing out the new MacBook Pro at 16 GB of RAM -- and rumors suggest that a 32-GB RAM configuration may be added in the latter part of 2017.
iPhone
The easiest prediction to get right in 2017, of course, is that Apple will release new iPhones. Rumors suggest three new models are in the works this time around. One new iPhone may feature a 5.8-inch OLED display and could be named the iPhone X. The display is expected to have a minimal bezel and may wrap around the side of the phone. The phone could also include wireless charging capabilities, an all-glass casing and facial/gesture recognition. Rumors suggest the two other new iPhones will come in the standard 4.7-inch and 5.5-inch sizes -- possibly dubbed the iPhone 7S and iPhone 7S Plus -- with improvements of a more incremental nature. Those may include new processors and the addition of a dual-lens camera (with optical image stabilization) for the first time to the 4.7-inch iPhone.