Apple’s 2014 Product Launch Schedule Should Begin Next Month

On Saturday, the month of March begins and so too should Apple’s product launch schedule for 2014. Based on the latest rumors and analyst checks, here are our best guesses on when new products will debut this year. For more of the latest rumors and information on each new product, click on the links that we have provided. March/April For a second straight year, spring won’t begin with a new iPad launching. Instead, Apple is likely to unveil the fourth-generation Apple TV sometime in the coming weeks. Unfortunately, it isn’t at all clear what the new device will do, let alone look like. The problem is the changing media landscape, which begins and ends with Comcast’s decision to buy Time Warner Cable. While the deal may never make it through the regulatory process, it will still have ripple effects throughout the industry. For now, it looks like Apple is pushing for a “less ambitious” TV service. In other words, don’t expect Cupertino to release an actual “iTV” anytime soon. June Apple’s annual Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) is likely to be held this month. Cupertino once used this event to promote products that were coming in a matter of weeks. Under Tim Cook, the event has become more of a tease for products coming later in the year. At WWDC, we’ll almost certainly see a demo of iOS 8, and perhaps the successor to OS X Mavericks. Throw in a few Mac product upgrades, and that is probably all we’ll be getting. The wildcard is whether Apple will launch the “iWatch” here. Our best guess is they will not. September / October For the past two years, Apple has held two “special” fall events. This has been a little bit frustrating from a media standpoint, but it seems to work from Apple’s standpoint. Expect more of the same in 2014. In the first event, Apple is likely to unveil two new iPhones, each which will be larger and thinner than previous models. This will also be the event where the iWatch makes its long awaited debut. At the second event, expect to see the sixth-generation iPad, and third-generation iPad mini. Some rumors suggest there will be no new iPad mini until 2015. This probably isn’t true. One final point During the Steve Jobs era, Apple loved to surprise by announcing the occasional product that wasn’t on anyone’s radar. Under Cook, Apple has become vanilla from a scheduling perspective, and leaks have become commonplace. Therefore, when suppliers and so-called experts begin congregating around the same release date for a product, you can pretty much take that to the bank. The schedule presented here is based on the current chatter. Of course, if anything changes, we’ll let you know.

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