Next Apple Event Set for Oct. 30: Expect 'Scary Fast' Macs, But No iPads

In recent years, Apple has been making more and more efforts to strengthen its foothold in the Indian smartphone market. It has also tapped into the ‘Make in India' initiative by establishing manufacturing of not only older iPhones but newer models such as iPhone 14 and iPhone 15 in the country. And now, the Cupertino-based tech giant is reportedly taking another giant step towards increasing its production capacity in India by kicking the new product introduction (NPI) of the iPhone 17 in the second half of 2025. Let us take a closer look.

Qualcomm recently posted its fourth-quarter earnings, and despite a slowing smartphone market, the San Diego firm managed to beat expectations. While the company might have narrowly avoided a pummeling in this three-month period, there are a myriad of challenges that await the chipset maker going into 2024, with Huawei likely on the top of that list. Fortunately, Qualcomm CEO Cristiano Amon stated in the earnings call that these events and the emergence of another player will not affect its relationship with other smartphone brands in China.

Cities: Skylines 2 had a rough launch, as performance issues plagued the city builder simulation and PC players have struggled with the poor optimization. Some settings can be changed to provide a better experience, but knowing which ones can be challenging if you don’t know what they do.

Apple Event October 2023: Apple Inc. celebrating eve of Halloween with a spooky-themed "Scary Fast" product launch event.

Apple Scary Fast event: Apple has already held two big events this year. In June, the Cupertino-based tech giant showcased its latest software developments, alongside the 15-inch MacBook Air and Vision Pro at the World Wide Developers Conference (WWDC) 2023. We also saw the new iPhone 15 series being unveiled, as well as the new Apple Watches at the Wonderlust event on September 12. While these were the only expected events of the year, Apple has surprised us all by announcing its Scary Fast event that is set to take place on October 30. But what can we expect from Apple during its third big event of the year?

The Meta Quest 3 launched on October 10, putting it several months ahead of the Apple Vision Pro, which is slated to arrive early next year but will only be available through an appointment system. Regardless of how it arrives for consumers and how difficult it will be to procure the ludicrously expensive AR headset, one analyst believes that Apple’s premium offering is up three years compared to what Meta has produced.

The iPhone 15 lineup has been out for about a month, so you know what that means: rumors about next-gen iPhones.

The Apple Watch Ultra 2 "offers minor refinements over the last generation," we found in our review, but if you're waiting for the third-gen smartwatch to take your tracking up a notch, it may not happen until 2025.

Apple enthusiasts may soon have a reason to celebrate, as a new leak hints at the return of the 12-inch MacBook in a more budget-friendly avatar. The 12-inch Macbook was discontinued in 2019 after introducing it in 2015 as the MacBook Air took its place. However, users have been speculating for a while whether Apple plans to introduce cheaper MacBooks that could provide a more affordable alternative to their existing lineup.

Apple plans to introduce a new budget Mac next year, allowing the company to tackle dwindling shipments. Considering the ongoing inflation, the MacBook Air and MacBook Pro models have become marginally expensive. Apple transitioned to its custom silicon opened room for a budget MacBook, which the company is now expected to announce next year. A tipster now claims that Apple will launch its low-cost MacBook in 12-inch and 13-inch sizes with a price tag of $700 or less.

Apple's 12-inch MacBook was a favorite to many, but it lacked the performance of high-end MacBooks. However, since Apple debuted its custom M-series of chips, rumors of a low-cost MacBook have surfaced again. Apple's M-series chips have solved the only thing wrong with the 12-inch MacBook. A prominent analyst now claims that Apple is considering a low-cost MacBook launch next year, which could be the successor of the 12-inch MacBook that Apple debuted in 2012.

Embark Studios will host the first cross-play open beta test for team-based free-to-play first-person shooter THE FINALS from October 26 to November 5 across PlayStation 5, Xbox Series, and PC via Steam, the developer announced.