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Apple Announces Scary Fast Media Event to Close Out October

By Jeff Butts

Updated October 30, 2023

Just when we thought Apple was done with announcements for 2023, the tech giant has scheduled a “Scary Fast” presentation near the end of October.

In a surprise announcement, Apple has scheduled a special event for October 30, 2023, at 5 p.m. PDT. Alerts went out to the media, inviting them to watch the “Scary Fast” presentation online. All the rumors and leaks point to the Cupertino-based tech giant announcing new models of its MacBook Pro, at a minimum, using the as-yet-unannounced M3 System-on-a-Chip (SoC).

Hinting at a Mac Reveal

Apple’s October events, when they happen, historically focus on the Mac and, occasionally, iPad models. Cupertino has even left us an Easter egg in the announcement, suggesting new Macs of some sort. The animation of an Apple logo on the events page morphs into Finder’s smiling face symbol.

So, what Mac models can we expect to see? The 24-inch iMac is long overdue for a refresh, still using the almost antique M1 SoC when the rest of the Apple Silicon range has moved on to the M2. According to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, the M3 iMac began production months ago. So, that seems like a safe bet.

In addition, Cupertino is known to have been testing M3 Max and M3 Pro models of its 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro lineup. These will offer up to 16 CPU cores and 40 GPU cores. With the beefiest configurations of the MacBook Pro not shipping until mid-November, it’s very likely Apple has new models on the way.

Predictions Changing as Apple Aims to Surprise?

Previously, observers had predicted Apple may not announce any new Mac products until early 2024. TF Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, for example, believed limited 4Q23 MacBook Pro shipments meant it was unlikely the tech giant would launch new models.

In a shift, however, Kuo now believes the “Scary Fast” event will focus primarily on a new M3-series MacBook Pro. Commenting on X (formerly Twitter), Kuo suggested:

As far as I know, Apple attributes the significant decline in MacBook shipments in 2023 mainly to the limited M2 computing power upgrade. I believe this is why Apple may prefer to launch the M3 series MacBook Pro even when its production volume is still low rather than continue…

— 郭明錤 (Ming-Chi Kuo) (@mingchikuo) October 24, 2023

The analyst believes the M3 will provide a more significant boost in computing power, thus encouraging more sales.