New Apple hardware may be coming as soon as next week
- A “reliable source” has come forward with new information that may relate to new Apple hardware coming this month
- The source said that service providers are being briefed on some sort of “AppleCare-related change” planned for Tuesday, December 8 at approximately 5:30am Pacific Time
- Apple has issued “nearly identical memos” to service providers ahead of previous product announcements, including iPhone 12
- There are several Apple products that are most likely - including AirPods Studio, AirTags, and a new Apple TV
- It’s important to remember that the “reliable source” is not named by MacRumors, so take these rumors with a pinch of salt
According to MacRumors (reliability: 57.14%) and 9to5Mac (reliability: 80%), a “reliable source” has come forward with new information that may relate to new Apple hardware coming this month. The source said that service providers are being briefed on some sort of “AppleCare-related change” planned for Tuesday, December 8 at approximately 5:30am Pacific Time.
According to MacRumors, Apple has issued “nearly identical memos” to service providers ahead of previous product announcements - telling technicians to prepare for similar changes on October 13 at 10 a.m. Pacific Time. It turned out to be Apple’s October Event, where they announced the new iPhone 12 series.
From MacRumors:
While it is unlikely that Apple will be hosting another event this year, 5:30 a.m. Pacific Time has been a common time for Apple to issue press releases introducing new products, such as a new 13-inch MacBook Pro in May 2020, the 16-inch MacBook Pro in November 2019, and second-generation AirPods in March 2019.
Given that AppleCare changes are expected, it is likely that any product(s) announced next Tuesday would have AppleCare+ coverage available, so we could be looking at new hardware.
Update: Unverified sources are now also claiming that Apple has asked service providers "to prepare for new product SKU's and updated product descriptions" next week. We have not been able to verify the reliability of these claims, but we will update if we do.
So, what could it be? Well, there are several Apple products that are most likely - including AirPods Studio, AirTags, and a new Apple TV. Given that Apple hasn’t announced an Apple Event (they usually make an announcement one week before the event), all of these products could potentially be announced via a press release on Tuesday. Apple has done this in the past, and these new rumors line up with our previous reporting about a possible “special Christmas surprise” from Apple.
Our take: It could be that Apple is simply planning some minor AppleCare changes or something completely unrelated. Furthermore, it’s important to remember that the “reliable source” is not named by MacRumors, so take these rumors with a pinch of salt.
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