Apple event on October 13?

Earlier this week, Bold FireballJohn Gruber of , brought up Tuesday, October 13 as a potential date for Apple to hand out review units of the iPhone Duo to select reviewers in person, and it looks like he might have been onto something.

BloombergMark Gurman of Mark Gurman reported today that Apple plans to unveil its all-new smart home hub, a second-generation HomePod mini, and a new Apple TV 4K model on October 13, the same date Gruber mentioned in his speculative article a few days ago.

In another post, Gruber opined that there was “no way” Apple would reveal the Home Hub solely through an announcement in the Apple press room, given that it’s an entirely new device with an entirely new interface. “If this happens, it needs to be revealed with an opening video and some sort of media event with hands-on demonstrations,” he said.

If Gruber is correct that the Home Hub “needs to be revealed with an opening video,” that would pave the way for an online-only Apple event that would be streamed on Apple’s website and YouTube on October 13. Next, Apple would likely hold a hands-on experience for media, allowing them to demo the announced products.

The same thing happened in October 2023. On October 24 of the same year, Apple announced that it would hold an online-only Apple event on October 30, which was streamed on Apple’s website and YouTube. Later in the day, Apple allowed select journalists and content creators to get hands-on with the Macs unveiled at the event.

During the hands-on experience, selected individuals could also receive a hands-on iPhone Duo review unit, allowing Apple to prevent a first-of-its-kind iPhone from getting lost in the mail ahead of its launch on Friday, October 23. Apple typically hands out review units about a week before a device launches, so the timing lines up.

Either way, mark your calendars, because it looks like October 13 will be a big day for Apple.

If there is an event on October 13, expect Apple to announce it next week.