Apple looks past COVID-19, plans busy second half of 2020

Apple Details For Wwdc2020 Source: Apple

The calendar says it's June, but this doesn't feel like June, any more than March, April, and May felt like typical spring months. The coronavirus and the economic devastation that followed isn't gone, but that's not stopping Apple from moving forward. A new report from DigiTimes says new hardware is coming over the next few months, beginning perhaps as early as next week.

For all the turmoil that has defined 2020, Apple has mostly kept its supply chains open while also pushing out new products. In the past few months, the company introduced a new iPad Pro alongside a Magic Keyboard, then refreshed the 13-inch MacBook Pro and MacBook Air. There's also a second-generation iPhone SE making the rounds.

With the Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) set to kickoff next-week, the stage is quickly being set for other product announcements either next week or in the weeks and months ahead. Already this week, the company tweaked tweaked its 16-inch MacBook Pro and Mac Pro lineup.

In recent years, the WWDC keynote address hasn't featured too many hardware announcements, and I would expect the same next Monday, June 22. One product that might get a refresh that's worth a live Tim Cook or Phil Schiller announcement could be a new iMac. Rumors are buzzing that a 23-inch iMac could soon launch.

Beyond this, Apple's expected to reveal a 10.8-inch iPad Air sometime before the end of the year. The current 10.5-inch third-generation iPad Air arrived last March, which means it's about that time for a refresh. A slightly larger display sounds about right and wouldn't be all that surprising. Last fall, the 10.5-inch seventh-generation iPad launched. It was the first regular iPad not to include a 9.7-inch display going back to the first Apple tablet in 2010.

Like last year, the arrival of a fourth-generation iPad Air could coincide with the launch of a fifth-generation iPad mini. The biggest unknown on the iPad front is whether this 10.8-inch tablet is, in fact, a new iPad Air or whether it's a replacement for the regular model. I'd argue it's a fresh iPad Air given where we are on the calendar. A would expect a new regular iPad will follow later in the year.

In summary, here are the Apple products that should get a refresh in the coming months based on rumors and leaks:

iMac, perhaps next week
Airtags, also maybe next week
iPad Air, fourth-generation
iPad mini, fifth-generation
iPhone 12 series of four handsets, September
Refreshed Apple TV, soon
iPad, eight-generation, fall

We'll hear more about Apple's 2020 plans soon enough. Apple's keynote address next Monday starts at 10 a.m. PDT and will be live-streamed. Besides new hardware, we're likely to see new versions of iOS, iPadOS, watchOS, macOS, and tvOS announced. Stay tuned!