First Tim Cook promised “more exciting things to come in 2020”, then Apple released macOS 11.0.1 Beta confirming 3 new Apple Silicon Macs in the works and now Apple has announced another Fall Event, this time on November 10th at 10 am PST. In other news, Apple is offering developers who took up the Apple Developer Transition Kit the opportunity for one-on-one code-level guidance from an Apple engineer. We have the details…

Tim Cook Says “More Exciting Things” Still To Come From Apple In 2020

During Apple’s legally-mandated Q4 earnings call to investors, Apple’s CEO Tim Cook took the unusual step of sharing some information of what is to come. Although he didn't specify any product or service, this is something Apple tends to avoid sharing by even saying this much…

"Without giving away too much, I can tell you that this year has a few more exciting things in store."

“Few” usually means 3 or more, although it could mean just 2. Whatever the numbers are, the comment is certainly a tease that Apple could introduce more than just its all-new Macs with custom chips in November.

macOS Big Sur Beta 11.0.1 Release Confirms New Apple Silicon Macs Are On The Way

Apple has released the first developer beta of macOS Big Sur 11.0.1, even though there still isn’t a Big Sur Golden Master macOS 11 Big Sur release, let alone a full release of macOS 11.0. But buried in the macOS 11.0.1 Beta code is evidence of some new Apple Silicon Macs.

A Twitter user know as @HarckerTech shared an image showing multiple placeholder bundles in the beta operating system, two of which were not present in the previous beta.

To provide context, the ‘MacHardwareTypes-2019f.bundle’ and ‘MacHardwareTypes-2020d.bundle’ files represent the 16-inch MacBook Pro, while the ‘MacHardwareTypes-2020a.bundle’ is for the 2020 MacBook Air, and the other files refer to the 2020 iMac and the 2020 13-inch MacBook Pro.

Unfortunately, it is not possible to determine what new Mac models these files refer to, especially as these are placeholder files with no data in them. However, these three placeholders, at the very least, confirm the existence of up to 3 new Apple Silicon-based Macs from an unimpeachable source, Apple themselves. Any one of which could be announced during the yet to be confirmed Apple Event in November.

But there is more.

Some eagle-eyed enthusiasts have spotted notes in the Boot Camp Update which add to the story.

The Boot Camp release notes read, in part, that the update…

“Fixes a stability issue that could occur during heavy CPU load on 16-inch MacBook Pro (2019 and 2020) and 13-inch MacBook Pro (2020)”.

Note that although Apple did add a new high-end graphics option in June, that configuration is still referred to as a 2019 model, so the mention of a 2020 model is news.

Apple Announces An Event On November 10th At Which Apple Silicon Macs and macOS Big Sur Are Expected To Be Revealed

Apple has now announced a third Autumn 2020 event, to be held on Tuesday, November 10th 2020 at 10:00 a.m. on the Apple Park campus in Cupertino, California. At the 1st event in September, Apple unveiled the new Apple Watch Series 6, Apple Watch SE, iPad Air, and an eighth-generation iPad. For the 2nd event in October, Apple announced iPhone 12 models and the HomePod mini, along with Apple's MagSafe charger and accessories.

As to what we expect Apple will announce, the top of the list are 3 new Macs with Apple Silicon processors, including a 13-inch MacBook Pro, a 16-inch ‌MacBook Pro‌, and a 13-inch MacBook Air. The change of line up from what we shared in our article First Silicon Apple Mac Event Rumoured For November 2020 comes after a report was posted by Bloomberg quoting "people familiar with the matter"…

“Foxconn is assembling the two smaller laptops, while Quanta Computer Inc. is building the larger MacBook Pro. The smaller models are further ahead in production and at least those two laptops will be shown at next week’s event.”

It is being reported that Apple's new Macs will feature 5-nanometer chips that are based on the A14 processor already found in the new iPhone 12 models, designed to bring power efficiency and performance improvements.

However, Mark Gurman and Debby Wu from Bloomberg also said that the new laptops will not feature significant changes other than the chip upgrades, which are also expected to provide improvements to performance and battery life.

Other rumours also suggest that Apple is working on redesigned versions of the ‌MacBook Pro‌ that will come in 14.1 and 16.1-inch sizes with mini-LED displays, but that these machines will not be ready until 2021.

macOS 11 Big Sur To Be Released

As well as Apple Silicon powered computers, with the release of the Release Candidate version to developers for final testing, it is expected Apple will announce the release of macOS 11 Big Sur at their ‘One More Thing’ Event on November 10th 2020.

Mac Pro mini Being Developed

It is also being reported that Apple is working on a redesigned iMac with an ‌Apple Silicon‌ chip and a new, smaller version of the Mac Pro - the Mac Pro mini! Bloomberg say…

“Apple engineers are currently developing a new Mac Pro that looks like the current design at about half the size. It’s unclear if that Mac will replace the current Mac Pro or if it’s an additional model.”

It is not clear how Apple will reduce the size of the new Mac Pro mini to half the size, but speculation suggests that the Mac Pro mini might not have any PCI-e slots, as it is the size of the slots that are a controlling factor in how big the Mac Pro currently needs to be.

As to timescale, it is thought that the Mac Pro will be the last of the Apple computer models to go Apple Silicon in the 2-year transition program but there is no indication whether the Mac Pro mini would come before or after the Apple Silicon Mac Pro is announced.

Apple Inviting macOS Developers To One-on-one Code-level Guidance Sessions For Apple Silicon

The program is intended for developers who have access to the Developer Transition Kit in order to prepare apps for Apple Silicon. These developers are being invited to one-on-one labs with Apple engineers to help them learn more about how to prepare apps for the Apple Silicon platform on the Mac. Developers who have a Developer Transition Kit can request an appointment with Apple until November 1 at 5 p.m. PST, while the labs are scheduled for November 4 and 5.

As a member of the Universal App Quick Start Program, you can receive one-on-one code-level guidance from an Apple engineer on optimizing your iPhone, iPad, and Mac apps for Apple silicon Macs.

Although the company doesn’t mention any specific reason for these sessions it is another piece of evidence confirming the forward trajectory of the Apple Silicon transition. and reinforces the likelihood of an Apple Event in November.

We will bring you more news as we get it.