2023 was one of the most fruitful years in recent memory for Apple fans. From the announcement of Vision Pro (Apple's first brand new product category in years) to the impressive iPhone 15 line up, there was plenty to sink our teeth into last year. And there were some surprises too – not least the unprecedented ban on Apple Watch sales.
Which brings us to 2024. Apple has laid a lot of groundwork for this year, not least with the unveiling of the aforementioned VR headset. And with a few notable omissions in last year's launch calendar, we already have a pretty decent idea of what to expect.
Vision Pro says Hello
Announced to much fanfare back at last year's WWDC conference, Vision Pro is almost here. Apple has, as Apple does, watched a nascent industry for a while before swooping in with (what looks to be) a class-of-its-own take on the tech. The design is also as Apple as you'd expect. From the aluminium alloy frame to the laminated glass, it's certainly sleeker than the likes of the plastic-y Meta Quest. And much like how the iPhone did away with the stylus in favour of the finger ("who wants a stylus?" Steve Jobs famously asked – a few years before the Apple Pencil arrived), Vision Pro doesn't require handheld controllers, just hand gestures.
Vision marks the first new category of product Apple has unveiled in a long time, and with it comes a brand new operating system, visionOS. And like any potentially game-changing new tech, it's both exciting and a little scary. Either way, we'll find out what's in store soon, with the headset rumoured to be launching as soon as this month.
All the iPads
For the first time since the original model launched in 2010, Apple didn't release any new iPads in 2023. Which means tablet fans are probably in for a bumper year in 2024. From OLED iPad Pros to a new iPad mini with an updated display, plenty of iPads were rumoured for last year, which means there's every chance they'll make an appearance over the coming months.
The iPhone 16, of course
Last year we had the iPhone 15, the year before that we had the 14, and in 2021 it was the 13. Who knows what's coming next? We'll make an educated guess and say probably the iPhone 16. Rumours about this year's model are scarce, but we've already heard that we could be in for a taller design, a periscope camera lens and a new 'Capture' button for photos and videos. How much of this will be saved for the 'Pro' model remains to be seen, but if recent years have set any precedent, it's that the best features usually come to the standard iPhone at least a year later.
Apple Watch Series 10 (or is that X?)
When the iPhone hit 10 years old, it was given the 'X' title as well as a brand new design. Rumour has it the Watch is set for the same treatment on its own 10th birthday. With the design of the standard model (the fatter Apple Watch Ultra arrived in 2022) remaining pretty stagnant since 2018's Series 4, the Watch is due some design love. The bad news? If you've got a lot of straps, get ready for them to become redundant – persistent rumours suggest a new design will feature a new, potentially magnetic connector for Apple Watch bands.
