As we leave winter behind and start to enjoy the first signs of spring (there’s blossom on the cherry tree here) our attention turns to what Apple is planning for 2020. Our interest right now is predominantly focused on what Apple might launch at the spring event that we assume the company will hold, after all, it usually does.
But, in the light of the Coronavirus (aka Covid-19) outbreak, there is some uncertainty regarding Apple’s plans and the ability of its suppliers – many of whom are based in China – to meet the production demands of Apple.
Will the rumoured low-cost iPhone SE 2 (aka iPhone 9) be put on hold while Apple’s Chinese suppliers attempt to ramp up supply? Apple was said to have asked suppliers to start building the new phone before the end of February 2020. But with Chinese factories only just opening again, and operating at less than 50% capacity, is Apple going to have to wait a little longer before it can get this new iPhone to market?
What of the other products Apple has in its pipeline for 2020? We’re anticipating new iPad Pro models, the MacBook Air and 13in MacBook Pro will soon get new keyboards, and the iMac and Mac mini are due an update. There are also rumours about Apple’s upcoming over-ear headphones and AirTag. And of course we have the promise of 5G iPhones before the end of the year.
2020 seemed to have a lot of promise so hopefully Coronavirus isn’t going to disrupt all of Apple’s plans.
In this article we’ll take a look at what we can expect from Apple in 2020. We’ve investigated every rumour and trend we could find to bring you our predictions. Read on to find out what could be in store.
If you are interested you can find out when is the next Apple event here.
iPhone SE 2
Apple discontinued the diminutive iPhone SE in September 2018, leaving many iPhone fans complaining about the lack of a small and cheap iPhone handset. There are those who feel even the 4.7in iPhone 8 is too big.
Those who have been calling for Apple to launch an iPhone SE2, could soon have their prayers answered. There is a lot of evidence that there will soon be a new iPhone SE early in 2020.
The new model is said to be adopting the design of the iPhone 8 along with upgraded internals such as the A11 chip and a more powerful camera.
Read more here: iPhone SE 2 release date
When? Spring 2020
iPad Pro
Apple updated the iPad, iPad mini and iPad Air in 2019, but the iPad Pro didn’t get a look in. That’s not a complete surprise, the Pro doesn’t always see a yearly update, but it does suggest that we will definitely see a new iPad Pro in 2020. We estimate a spring launch for a new model with an updated processor and improved cameras.
You can find out more about what’s expected from the New iPad Pro here.
When? Spring 2020
Apple TV
On 1 November 2019 Apple launched its new TV+ service via which it is now delivering a collection of exclusive TV shows with more to come. With this focus on television, it seems likely that the Apple TV set-top-box will see a revamp in 2020. We may even see a cheaper Apple TV launch, which could help Apple get its content out to the masses.
Although as more and more TV manufacturers add support for AirPlay 2 to their sets, maybe there will be no need for the Apple TV set-top box in the future.
When? Spring 2020
StudioPods headphones
Apple is said to be working on some over-the-ear headphones to join its AirPods, AirPods Pro and the standard EarPods. (It may also be working on the so-called AirPods Pro Lite.)
Read all the news about the StudioPods here.
When? Spring 2020
HomePod 2
There’s one more *Pod hopefully coming our way. We expect Apple to update the HomePod – although it’s not really clear what the company could do to improve the speaker, other than make it cheaper.
There are rumours that Apple could launch a smaller, cheaper HomePod in a bid to better compete with Amazon and Google. A cheaper device would certainly help it sell a few more of the Siri-powered speakers.
Alternatively, a Siri-powered Beats speaker could make an appearance.
Or Apple could give up on the HomePod and push Apple Music on to competitor smart speakers – Apple Music is already compatible with the Amazon Echo, for example. Read: How to get Apple Music on Amazon Echo.
Here’s everything we know about HomePod 2.
When? Spring 2020
AirTag
A bit of a wildcard this one but there is plenty of evidence suggesting it’s true: Apple is gearing up to launch a Tag object tracker that will help you track of important items and show you where to find them via the Find My app.
Read all about the AirTag tracker here.
MacBook Air
The MacBook Air was updated in July 2019. However, this was a minor update. There was actually no change at all to the spec (aside from the addition of True Tone, a screen feature).
It seems that July 2019 was more of an opportunity for Apple to drop prices across the range (by £100/$100) and remove the old-style Air from sale in the run up to Back To School shopping season.
The surprise was that while Apple claimed the update went some way to make improvements to the keyboard, which has suffered well publicised problems (read about the problems with the current keyboard here), the keyboard still uses the butterfly mechanism thought to be the root of the issues. The new 2020 MacBook Air is expected to finally replace this problematic keyboard with a keyboard based on the 16in MacBook Pro that launched in November 2019.
When? WWDC 2020
13in MacBook Pro
You can expect the 13in MacBook Pro to get the same treatment as the MacBook Air…
When? WWDC 2020
Mac mini
The Mac mini saw some much-needed love at Apple’s October 2018 event. Featuring a new Space Grey finish, the new Mac mini continues its theme of packing a lot of power into a tiny package.
There was no update to the Mac mini in 2019 so the minute Mac is surely due an update in 2020? You can read about the next Mac mini here.
When? WWDC 2020
Mac with Apple-made processor
It’s long been rumoured that Apple plans to eventually stop relying on Intel’s processors, bringing processor development in house. The company already makes the processors for the iPhone and iPad, and some secondary processors for Macs (the T2 chip, for example), but 2020 could see Apple launch its first Mac with an Apple CPU.
Back in 2018 there were rumours that Apple is planning to use its own chips in Mac computers beginning as early as 2020.
This new Mac could potentially run iOS alongside macOS.
Read more about this project, or projects, which have codenames of Star and Kalamata here.
When? WWDC 2020
AR Glasses
Apple’s made clear its interest in augmented reality, and we may hear more about Apple’s plans to make Apple AR Glasses in 2020!
While the rumours suggest we won’t see Apple’s AR product until 2021 or 2022, it’s possible that Apple may share its plans with developers at WWDC in an attempt to get them to design apps for the new device.
When? WWDC 2020
5G iPhone
There should be a big change coming to iPhones in 2020. Apple is said to be set to introduce 5G-capable iPhones.
We have lots of information about Apple’s plans for a 5G iPhone, and a roundup of all the iPhone 12 rumours.
When? September 2020
iOS 14
We expect Apple to announce iOS 14 at WWDC. We can only imagine the new features that could arrive with the next version, which is likely to arrive on iPhones in September 2020.
Read about iOS 14 here.
When? September 2020
iPadOS 14
In 2019 Apple created a new operating system for the iPad called iPadOS. We can expect much more from this interface in the future – perhaps iPadOS 14 will be even more like the Mac…
When? September 2020
macOS 10.16
Twenty years after Apple unveiled Mac OS X maybe it’s time for the Mac operating system to get a new name. How about macOS 11? Or a complete merger of the iPad and Mac operating systems. We’ll wait to find out!
Read about macOS 10.16 here
When? October 2020
tvOS & watch OS
Not to forget Apple’s other two OSs. Apple will also reveal updates to tvOS and watchOS 6 at WWDC 2020 with the new versions launching in the autumn.
When? September 2020
Apple Car
The Apple Car was the hot rumour of 2016, but it’s since emerged that Apple has scaled back its ambitions on this front but something is definitely happening in the motoring field. The company is said to have had up to 1,000 developers working on the so-called Project Titan, and to have set up various different front companies, including Faraday Futures and Sixty Eight Research.
Industry chatter suggests 2020 is a possible date for a launch – which sounds crazy to us. But, if this is correct, it might be worth holding back on upgrading to your existing run-around until then.
When? Depends… Is it really a car or just software?
Via MACWORLD