Top 6 game-changing Apple products to anticipate in 2024
Next year is set to be a bumper year for Apple fans, with the company planning a huge range of new and updated products in 2024. With rumors pointing to significant changes across the board, it could be a great time to upgrade.
We’ve sorted our way through the rumors to determine which upcoming Apple products we’re most excited about. If all of these devices live up to the hype in 2024, there will be a whole lot to look forward to.
Vision Pro
Whether it becomes a roaring success or a spectacular flop, there’s no doubt that the Vision Pro is the one device everyone will be talking about in 2024. The first major new product category for Apple in nearly a decade, a lot is riding on this mixed-reality headset.
Since Apple announced the Vision Pro at its Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) in June 2023, there has been a slow drip-feed of leaks and news. First, developers were invited to try it out, and then members of the press got the chance to take it for a spin. In both cases, the feedback has been extremely positive.
There are still a lot of unanswered questions surrounding the Vision Pro, and its success is far from guaranteed (especially when it costs $3,499). But there’s no doubt that we’re eagerly awaiting our chance to give it a go. After all, it’s not every day that Apple launches such a flashy product. If it goes well, it could upend the virtual reality industry.
The iPhone 16 range
It’s hardly a surprise that a new iPhone is coming in 2024, but the iPhone 16 range could be a sizeable upgrade on what came before for several reasons.
For one thing, rumors point toward several changes to the chassis design. That includes a new “capture” button that could provide quick access to the camera. Meanwhile, the Action button is expected to come to the entire lineup instead of being restricted to the Pro models. Put together, those changes should mean less fiddling for apps and features, as you’ll be able to quickly load up actions with a single press — and do it on more phones in the range, too.
As well as that, some buttons could make the switch to haptic tech, we might get even better zoom on the Pro phones, and we’ve even heard rumors of an “iPhone 16 Ultra” that could make an appearance. With all that potentially in the works, 2024 could be an incredible year for the iPhone 16.
A huge iPhone SE upgrade
While the iPhone 16 captures most of the attention, there’s a lot to look forward to when it comes to Apple’s affordable iPhone SE. In fact, the fourth version — apparently due out in 2024 — could be the biggest overhaul of the device in its history.
That’s because it expects a slate of changes, both inside and out. For instance, rumors suggest it’ll get an all-screen design with Face ID instead of its current look, which still comes with thick bezels and a Home button.
Elsewhere, it might get an OLED display, a 48-megapixel camera, and a speedy chip. Leaks have suggested it will basically be an iPhone 14 with a few changes (such as retaining the iPhone SE’s single-lens camera). That will be a significant upgrade over the current iPhone SE and will be particularly intriguing, considering it’s always much more affordable than the rest of the iPhone lineup.
The M3 MacBook Air steps up
When Apple launched the 15-inch MacBook Air, it instantly gave fans of the lightweight laptop a whole lot more choice when picking a device. But despite the MacBook Air range gaining a new lease of life with this change, both the large and small models are stuck on the previous-generation M2 chip. That’s all set to change in 2024.
In the coming months, we’ll see the MacBook Air get equipped with M3 chips, which should provide a notable performance boost. That will be particularly the case in gaming, as the M3’s GPU provides a significant uptick compared to its M2 predecessor.
It should finally put to bed the idea that the MacBook Air can’t be used for anything more than browsing the web and writing documents. Infusing it with an M3 chip could be a real milestone for the thin and light laptop.
The Apple Watch X
The Apple Watch is a resounding success story for Apple, and with the tenth edition coming up in 2024, chances are Apple will want to celebrate that somehow. This isn’t just speculation, either — there have been plenty of rumors that a special “Apple Watch X” model is coming soon.
According to Bloomberg reporter Mark Gurman, this anniversary model will have a slimmer case, a microLED display, a ton of new health features, and more. That could be enough to make it the most memorable Apple Watch in years, after several iterative (albeit still strong) versions in recent memory.
That said, it’s not certain that the Apple Watch X will launch in 2024 — it could instead make an appearance the year after. But if 2024 is the date it debuts, there won’t be too long to wait for the most exciting Apple Watch in years.
OLED comes to the iPad Pro
As the years go on, Apple seems to bring the iPad Pro closer and closer to the Mac, increasing its capabilities and making it more MacBook-like. These days, the iPad Pro comes with superb speakers, great keyboard options, and even the same desktop-grade Apple silicon chips as the Mac. But there’s one area where the iPad could vastly improve when it’s not being used like a laptop: the display.
Don’t get us wrong, the iPad Pro’s mini-LED XDR screen is fantastic, but we’ve been waiting for a long time for Apple to take the plunge into OLED. Specifically, an OLED display would help take things up a notch, especially considering you don’t always sit directly in front of an iPad — any side angle viewing can highlight the LCD backlighting’s flaws.
The good news is that the iPad Pro is widely expected to come with an OLED display in 2024. The benefits could be felt beyond just viewing angles — OLED brings deeper blacks, faster refresh rates, and better battery efficiency. Those could all be excellent upgrades to an already class-leading device.