Apple to host surprise event for apps and games on December 2

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apps
The best apps of 2019 will be showcased at the event.
Photo: Apple

Members of the press received surprise invitations from Apple this morning to attend a first-of-its-kind event to honor 2019’s top apps and games on December 2 in New York City.

Apple routinely gives out awards for the best apps of the year, but this is the first time the company has hosted an event to hand them out. Get ready for the Oscars of apps.

No new product announcements are expected to be made at the event. Some Apple fans were hoping the company would have a keynote in October. Instead, the company rolled out the new AirPods Pro and 16-inch MacBook Pro without throwing a big press event.

Apple recently delayed the launch of the long-awaited Mac Pro redesign until December. So it’s possible that we might see that machine and the Pro Display XDR at the event. The invitations’ wording — “Loved by millions. Created by the best.” — make it sound like this event might play out like a developer lovefest, and talking up the Mac Pro makes sense from that perspective. But the only other new product likely to come out before the end of 2019 is the long-rumored Apple AirTags.

Cupertino also could use the app and game event to showcase some of the best games on Apple Arcade, the company’s recently launched subscription gaming service.

Apple 2019 apps and games event

Apple’s NYC app event will start at 4 p.m. EST on Monday, December 2. We’re not sure if Apple will provide a live stream of the event. There’s no mention of it yet on the company’s website, so it might be a small affair.

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