Not too long ago, rumors regarding forthcoming Apple products were incredibly hard to come by. These days, it’s quite the opposite, in large part thanks to TF International Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo who continues to deliver remarkably accurate research reports regarding upcoming products Apple has in the pipeline.
Over the weekend, Kuo dropped yet another goldmine of an investor note which shed a good deal of light on a number of new products Apple is planning to introduce later this year. Specifically, Kuo — in a note originally obtained by MacRumors — claims that Apple in 2019 will introduce four new iPad models, including two iPad Pro models, a 10.2-inch iPad that may replace the current 9.7-inch model, and last but not least, a brand new iPad mini 5.
A revamped iPad mini has been a long time coming and it’s nice to see that Apple hasn’t forgotten about a device it last upgraded all the way back in 2015. Though details regarding what we can expect out of a refreshed iPad mini remain scarce, previous reports have claimed that the device will naturally incorporate upgraded hardware and a lower-cost display.
Regarding the Apple Watch Series 5, Kuo doesn’t have a lot of information, but he does note that ECG support will expand to additional countries and that Apple is planning to add a ceramic casing. For whatever reason, details regarding next-gen Apple Watch features tend to leak out far less frequently compared to what we see with the iPhone and other Apple products.
Moving along to the Mac side of things, Kuo’s note reveals some interesting tidbits Apple has in store for its MacBook Pro line. Specifically, Kuo writes that Apple this year will introduce a MacBook Pro with a 16-16.5-inch display. Kuo also adds that a revamped 13-inch MacBook Pro will, at long last, support 32GB of RAM.
2019 will also be the year Apple finally releases its highly anticipated Mac Pro refresh, Kuo writes. Given some of the limitations of the trashcan Mac Pro, Apple in recent years conceded that the design itself may not have been as forward-thinking as the company initially intended. In light of that, Apple’s Phil Schiller in 2017 said that Apple isn’t going to rush things with its next-gen Mac Pro in an effort to nail every single aspect of the device.
“With regards to the Mac Pro,” Schiller said to a handful of journalists a few years back, “we are in the process of what we call ‘completely rethinking the Mac Pro.’ We’re working on it. We have a team working hard on it right now, and we want to architect it so that we can keep it fresh with regular improvements, and we’re committed to making it our highest-end, high-throughput desktop system, designed for our demanding pro customers.”
Kuo doesn’t have a lot of details about the Mac Pro, though he does note it will be remarkably easy for users to upgrade the hardware. And last but not least, Kuo writes that Apple this year will introduce a 31.6-inch 6K monitor and, believe it or not, a brand new iPod Touch.
