In 2023, Apple surprised us with three dedicated events.
WWDC in June and the iPhone 15 launch in September were both expected, but few people had predicted another one dedicated to the Mac in October.
However, despite releasing the Vision Pro in the US and M3 MacBook Air in many countries in 2024, neither warranted a specific event.
All indications were that there would be no spring event this year. However, we now know that there’s one happening very soon indeed. Here’s everything you need to know.
When does Apple usually hold events?
Apple typically holds three or four live or live-streamed events annually to unveil its latest products. The events are generally scheduled at similar times each year:
- March/April/May: Spring event (not every year)
- June: Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC, every year)
- September: Autumn/Fall event (also known as the iPhone and Apple Watch launch event, every year)
- October/November: Late-autumn/fall event (occasionally)
Expect at least three of these in 2024, with two already confirmed and another almost certain to happen.
When will the next Apple event take place?
Apple has confirmed that its next event will take place on 7 May 2024 under the theme ‘Let Loose’. The event is expected to be focused on the iPad, with at least two models rumoured to be announced.
Be sure to check out our guide on how to watch the next Apple event live if you want to tune in and not miss the upcoming announcements.
However, just one month later, its WWDC developer conference will take place.
Apple has already confirmed that it’ll host a keynote on the first day of the conference on 10 June 2024, to officially unveil its biggest software announcements and potentially some new hardware.
What will Apple announce at its next event?
As we now know exactly when two of Apple’s next events will be, we’re exploring what could be revealed at both the spring event in May and the WWDC keynote in June.
Spring 2024 event
According to Mark Gurman at Bloomberg, we’ll be getting a new iPad Pro, iPad Air, Magic Keyboard accessory and Apple Pencil. In a separate Bloomberg article, he suggests one version of the iPad Pro could include the M4 chip, which would be its debut.
Either way, don’t expect a new iPad mini or regular iPad. Gurman says these won’t be coming before the end of 2024 at the earliest.
Dominik Tomaszewski / Foundry
Dominik Tomaszewski / Foundry
Dominik Tomaszewski / Foundry
WWDC 2024
As always, WWDC is expected to bring official previews of the next versions of Apple’s operating systems – iOS 18, iPadOS 18, macOS 15, watchOS 11, and tvOS 18.
There’s also a possibility of an update to Apple’s realityOS, which the Vision Pro runs on. Across all software, AI advancements are expected to be a focal point this year.
While hardware announcements aren’t always the main focus at WWDC, they have taken place in the past. Just don’t expect any new iPhones or Apple Watches to be announced before the usual September event.
Dominik Tomaszewski / Foundry
Dominik Tomaszewski / Foundry
Dominik Tomaszewski / Foundry
Potential September 2024 event
Apple consistently hosts an event in September, typically to unveil new iPhones and Apple Watches. The only recent exception was in 2020 due to Covid-related production issues, resulting in the iPhone announcement being postponed to October.
Apple is expected to unveil the upcoming iPhone 16 series and new Apple Watches (Series 10, SE 3, Ultra 3). The Series 10 is rumoured to be rebranded as the Apple Watch X, given its expected launch date will be a decade since the original.
Dominik Tomaszewski / Foundry
Dominik Tomaszewski / Foundry
Dominik Tomaszewski / Foundry
Potential late 2024 event
They might not arrive in 2024, but new AirPods are expected soon, so could arrive later in the year. Updates to the AirPods Max, AirPods Pro and regular AirPods are all rumoured, alongside brand-new cheaper AirPods Lite.
However, if Apple does hold an event after the iPhone 16 launch, it’s likely to be for new Mac devices.
2025 events
While it’s not always worth looking that far ahead, it is already very likely that the long-awaited next iPhone SE will be released in 2025 rather than this year.
A foldable iPhone/iPad isn’t expected until 2026 at the earliest, though.
This is all we know at this point about upcoming Apple events and the devices that may be unveiled. If you don’t want to wait, check out what we think are the best iPhones and the best iPads you can buy right now.
