Apple reportedly warned authorized service providers that new products are coming the morning of Tuesday, December 8. Among the possibilities are AirPods over-the-ear headphones and AirTags item-tracking tags. Or new Apple TV hardware.
This could be the Apple “Christmas Surprise” that had been predicted.
New Apple hardware next Tuesday?
An internal Apple memo was leaked to MacRumors from an unnamed “reliable source.” The memo alerted service providers to prepare for “new product SKUs, new/updated product descriptions, and new/updated product pricing.” They’ll supposedly get the new information at 5:30 a.m. Pacific time on December 8.
Apple hasn’t scheduled an event for that date. And given the time of day of the announcement, the new products apparently will be unveiled via a press release. The company already produced three online product release events this autumn, and apparently decided that was enough.
Maybe AirPods and AirTags are Apple’s Christmas surprise
In just the past few months, Cupertino brought out the iPhone 12 series, two new iPads, the M1 Macs and the HomePod mini, so new computers aren’t expected at the December 8 announcement. Accessories are likely on the docket.
A possibility for an early morning announcement is a new Apple TV. There’s supposedly one in development with a faster processor to make it a better way to play Apple Arcade games. And it might sport a Find My Remote capability similar to Find My iPhone.
Also, rumors that Apple is prepping AirTags item-tracking tags have been popping up for more than a year, and recent chatter points to these accessories finally coming soon. Users would attach AirTags to a keychain or other frequently misplaced items, making them easily findable with an iPhone.
Another possibility is the much-rumored AirPods Studio, the first over-the-ear headphones sold under the Apple brand. However, earlier reports said these might not arrive until spring 2021.
Whether it’s these or something else, we’ll know for certain next Tuesday.
