MacRumors

Buyer's Guide

This page provides a product summary for each Apple model. The intent is to provide our best recommendations regarding current product cycles, and to provide a summary of currently available rumors for each model.

This page is based on rumors and speculation and we provide no guarantee to its accuracy.

iPad Mini

Caution Price Cut Only
iPad Mini

  • The iPad mini 4 launched in September 2015 and features an iPad Air 2-style redesign, making it thinner and lighter. It includes an A8 processor and improved rear and front-facing cameras. Apple has changed storage and pricing options several times, most recently cutting back to a single 128 GB storage option at $399 for Wi-Fi and $529 for Wi-Fi + Cellular on March 21, 2017, but no other changes have been made.


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Days since last release

71
Mar 2017
 

Average

 
322

Recent releases

195
Sep 2016
 
364
Sep 2015
 
328
Oct 2014
 
338
Nov 2013
 
385
Oct 2012
 

Recent Rumors

May 26 2017 This Week's Cover of 'The New Yorker' Was Sketched on an iPad
May 16 2017 Apple Rumored to Discontinue iPad Mini
Mar 24 2017 Apple Store Down in Advance of (PRODUCT)RED iPhone 7 and New 9.7-inch iPad Launch at 8:01 a.m. Pacific Time
Mar 21 2017 Apple Discontinues iPad Mini 2
Mar 21 2017 iPad Mini 4 With 128GB of Storage Now Starts at $399 as 32GB Model Discontinued
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iPad

Buy Now Just Updated
iPad

  • The "iPad" is Apple's low-priced 9.7-inch iPad, introduced in March of 2017. It's thicker, heavier, and has fewer features than the 9.7-inch iPad Pro, but it is also Apple's most affordable tablet. It comes with an A9 processor and internal specs similar to the iPad Air 2.


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Days since last release

71
Mar 2017
 

Average

 
367

Recent releases

195
Sep 2016
 
692
Oct 2014
 
349
Nov 2013
 
374
Oct 2012
 
230
Mar 2012
 
362
Mar 2011
 

Recent Rumors

Apr 06 2017 Microsoft Surface Beats iPad in Design, Productivity, and Accessory Use in New J.D. Power Study
Mar 30 2017 New 9.7-Inch iPad Now Available for Personal Pickup at Apple Stores
Mar 30 2017 New 9.7-Inch iPad Teardown Confirms It's Basically an Original iPad Air
Mar 27 2017 Low-Cost iPad Not Among the New iPad Models Spotted in Device Logs Earlier This Month
Mar 24 2017 New 9.7-Inch iPad and Red iPhone 7 and 7 Plus Now Available to Order
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iPhone SE

Caution Storage Bump Only
iPhone SE

  • The iPhone SE is Apple's only 4-inch iPhone. It looks similar to an iPhone 5s, but has iPhone 6s internal specs, including an A9 processor, 12-megapixel camera, and support for Apple Pay. New 32 and 128GB storage tiers were introduced on March 21, 2017.


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Days since last release

71
Mar 2017
 

Average

 
181

Recent releases

194
Sep 2016
 
168
Mar 2016
 

Recent Rumors

May 23 2017 Apple in Talks With India State Officials to Expand iPhone Production Capacity
May 23 2017 iPhone SE Tops Customer Satisfaction Survey Despite Shift Towards Larger Screens
May 17 2017 Apple Officially Begins Assembling iPhone SE in India
May 10 2017 Possible Leak Suggests Next iPhone SE or iPhone 7s Could Have Strengthened Ion-X Glass Display
May 01 2017 Apple to Begin Selling iPhones in India Directly Through Its Website This Year
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iPhone

Caution Approaching End of Cycle
iPhone

  • The iPhone 7 and 7 Plus are Apple's newest iPhones, with significant camera improvements, a new glossy black color, better battery life, faster processors, and improved water resistance implemented through a click-less haptic home button and no headphone jack. The new iPhones launched on September 16, 2016. A special edition (PRODUCT)RED color was announced on March 21, 2017.


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Days since last release

265
Sep 2016
 

Average

 
378

Recent releases

363
Sep 2015
 
365
Sep 2014
 
357
Sep 2013
 
364
Sep 2012
 
353
Oct 2011
 
467
Jun 2010
 

Recent Rumors

Mar 22 2017 iPhone Named World's Most Popular Smartphone Last Year
Mar 17 2017 AppleCare+ Can Now be Purchased Up to One Year After Buying an iPhone
Feb 23 2017 Apple Says iOS 10.2.1 Update Has Significantly Reduced Unexpected iPhone 6 and 6s Shutdowns [Updated]
Dec 06 2016 Chinese Consumer Group Complains of Spontaneous iPhone 6 Fires, but Apple Blames 'Physical Damage'
Dec 06 2016 Apple Preparing Diagnostic Tool in New iOS Update as iPhone 6s Battery Issue Expands
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9.7" iPad Pro

Don't Buy Price Cut Only
9.7

  • Apple introduced a new 9.7-inch iPad Pro at its media event on March 21, 2016, wth a launch following on March 31. The smaller iPad Pro replaces the previous iPad Air line and adopts many of the features from the larger iPad Pro such as Apple Pencil and Smart Keyboard support, a four-speaker design, and more. On September 7, 2016, Apple reduced prices by up to $100 on 128 GB and 256 GB models.


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Days since last release

266
Sep 2016
 

Average

 
168

Recent releases

168
Mar 2016
 

Recent Rumors

May 31 2017 Apple Registers New Macs and iPads in Eurasia Ahead of WWDC on June 5
May 26 2017 This Week's Cover of 'The New Yorker' Was Sketched on an iPad
May 23 2017 10.5-Inch iPad Pro 3D Renderings Include Three Microphones and Thinner 7mm Side Bezels
May 22 2017 'SlingStudio' Multi-Camera Production System Syncs With iPad for Real-Time Video Editing
May 22 2017 Cases for Upcoming 10.5-Inch and 12.9-Inch iPad Pro Reveal Stereo Speakers, Centered Rear Microphone
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12.9" iPad Pro

Don't Buy Price Cut Only
12.9

  • The 12.9-inch iPad Pro is Apple's largest iPad yet, with a 2732 x 2048 resolution display, a powerful A9X processor, a super slim design, and a four-speaker audio system. The iPad Pro also introduces support for the Apple Pencil stylus and includes a magnetic Smart Connector for interfacing with keyboards and other accessories. On September 7, 2016, Apple reduced prices by up to $100 on 128 GB and 256 GB models.


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Days since last release

266
Sep 2016
 

Average

 
301

Recent releases

301
Nov 2015
 

Recent Rumors

May 26 2017 This Week's Cover of 'The New Yorker' Was Sketched on an iPad
May 23 2017 10.5-Inch iPad Pro 3D Renderings Include Three Microphones and Thinner 7mm Side Bezels
May 22 2017 'SlingStudio' Multi-Camera Production System Syncs With iPad for Real-Time Video Editing
May 22 2017 Cases for Upcoming 10.5-Inch and 12.9-Inch iPad Pro Reveal Stereo Speakers, Centered Rear Microphone
May 08 2017 Apple Offering Free Smart Keyboard Repairs Under New 3-Year Policy
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iPod Touch

Don't Buy Updates Soon
iPod Touch

  • The iPod touch is Apple's only iPod running iOS, offering access to the App Store and the same 4-inch Retina display found on the company's iPhone 5 and 5s. The iPod touch was updated on July 15, 2015 with new colors, an A8 chip with M8 motion coprocessor for fitness tracking, a new 128 GB storage tier, and an improved 8-megapixel rear camera.


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Days since last release

686
Jul 2015
 

Average

 
296

Recent releases

384
Jun 2014
 
289
Sep 2013
 
103
May 2013
 
233
Oct 2012
 
371
Oct 2011
 
398
Sep 2010
 

Recent Rumors

Dec 15 2016 Apple's Refurbished Store Now Offering Sixth-Generation iPod Touch
Oct 24 2016 The Original iPod Turns 15 Years Old
Jul 17 2015 New iPod Touch Teardown Confirms 1,043 mAh Battery and 1GB of RAM
Jul 17 2015 A Closer Look at Apple's New iPod Touch Colors and Features
Jul 15 2015 New A8 iPod Touch Clocks in at 1.10GHz, Includes 1GB RAM and Bluetooth 4.1
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Mac Pro

Caution Price Drop Only
Mac Pro

  • Apple's radically redesigned Mac Pro hasn't been updated since December 19, 2013, but a new high-end high-throughput modular Mac Pro machine is in the works and will debut after 2017.


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Days since last release

57
Apr 2017
 

Average

 
609

Recent releases

1202
Dec 2013
 
556
Jun 2012
 
685
Jul 2010
 
511
Mar 2009
 
420
Jan 2008
 
279
Apr 2007
 

Recent Rumors

Apr 12 2017 Concept Imagines What a Modular Mac Pro Might Look Like
Apr 06 2017 Full Transcript of Mac Pro Interview With Craig Federighi and Phil Schiller Now Available
Apr 06 2017 'Constant Negativity' From Pro Users Led Apple to Develop Modular Mac Pro, Which May Not Ship Until 2019
Apr 05 2017 Apple Says Stock 8-Core Mac Pro Available to Resellers by End of April, Suggests Custom Configuring Until Then
Apr 04 2017 Mac Pro CPU and GPU Upgrades See Significant Price Drop
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MacBook Pro

Caution Approaching End of Cycle
MacBook Pro

  • Apple's 13 and 15-inch Retina MacBook Pros are the company's top-tier portable machines, and a major update arrived Thursday, October 27, 2016 with a thinner body and a OLED touch panel with Touch ID functionality.


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Days since last release

216
Oct 2016
 

Average

 
320

Recent releases

527
May 2015
 
294
Jul 2014
 
280
Oct 2013
 
251
Feb 2013
 
247
Jun 2012
 

Recent Rumors

May 31 2017 Apple Registers New Macs and iPads in Eurasia Ahead of WWDC on June 5
May 30 2017 Intel's Upcoming Coffee Lake Processors Up to 30% Faster Than Kaby Lake Chips Coming to Mac Notebooks
May 29 2017 15-Inch MacBook Pro Delivery Estimates Slip Ahead of New Models Expected Next Week
May 22 2017 Apple Sees Notebook Shipments Increase Year on Year in Q1 2017
May 20 2017 Apple Says 2011 MacBook Pro No Longer Eligible For 'Video Issues' Repair Program
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MacBook

Don't Buy Updates Soon
MacBook

  • The 12-inch MacBook is Apple's newest notebook, even thinner than the MacBook Air, with an Intel Core M processor, a Retina display, USB-C, and a revamped trackpad. The MacBook was updated with Intel's Skylake processors and a new Rose Gold color option on April 19, 2016.


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Days since last release

407
Apr 2016
 

Average

 
375

Recent releases

375
Apr 2015
 

Recent Rumors

May 31 2017 Apple Registers New Macs and iPads in Eurasia Ahead of WWDC on June 5
May 30 2017 Intel's Upcoming Coffee Lake Processors Up to 30% Faster Than Kaby Lake Chips Coming to Mac Notebooks
May 22 2017 Apple Sees Notebook Shipments Increase Year on Year in Q1 2017
May 16 2017 Apple to Announce New MacBook, MacBook Pro, and Possibly MacBook Air at WWDC
Jan 16 2017 New 15-Inch MacBook Pro With Kaby Lake and 32GB of Desktop-Class RAM Coming Later This Year
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iMac

Don't Buy Updates Soon
iMac

  • Apple's iMac is an ultra-thin all-in-one desktop computer, available in 21.5- and 27-inch sizes with an array of build-to-order upgrades. The iMac family was updated on October 13, 2015 to an all-Retina lineup for the 27-inch models, while the 21.5-inch lineup received its first 4K Retina display as a high-end option.


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Days since last release

596
Oct 2015
 

Average

 
317

Recent releases

147
May 2015
 
215
Oct 2014
 
387
Sep 2013
 
298
Nov 2012
 
577
May 2011
 
280
Jul 2010
 

Recent Rumors

May 30 2017 Intel's Upcoming Coffee Lake Processors Up to 30% Faster Than Kaby Lake Chips Coming to Mac Notebooks
Apr 20 2017 Intel Rumored to Debut Basin Falls Platform in May, Launch Coffee Lake Chips in August
Apr 18 2017 New 'Server-Grade' iMac With Next-Gen Xeon Processor Coming End of 2017
Apr 06 2017 New iMacs With Up to Xeon E3 Processors, 64GB RAM, AMD Graphics, and Thunderbolt 3 Rumored for Late October
Apr 04 2017 Apple Says New iMacs Geared Towards Pros Coming Later This Year
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MacBook Air

Don't Buy Old, But Updates Unlikely
MacBook Air

  • With the introduction of new MacBook Pro models on October 27, 2016, the MacBook Air lineup has been reduced to only 13-inch models that have not been significantly updated since March 2015. The ultra-portable notebook computers offer Intel Broadwell processors and Thunderbolt 2 connectivity. On April 19, 2016, the base 13-inch model was updated with 8GB RAM as a standard option.


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Days since last release

814
Mar 2015
 

Average

 
350

Recent releases

314
Apr 2014
 
323
Jun 2013
 
364
Jun 2012
 
327
Jul 2011
 
273
Oct 2010
 
499
Jun 2009
 

Recent Rumors

May 16 2017 Apple to Announce New MacBook, MacBook Pro, and Possibly MacBook Air at WWDC
Dec 30 2016 What to Expect From Apple in 2017: iPhone 8, 10-Inch iPad Pro, Refreshed iMacs, and More
Dec 27 2016 2016's Biggest Apple Leaks: iPhone, Macs, Apple Watch, iPad, and More
Nov 01 2016 Apple Drops Prices on 512GB and 1TB SSD Upgrades for Older Mac Lineup
Oct 27 2016 Apple Still Offering 2015 13-inch MacBook Air, 11-inch MacBook Air Discontinued
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Mac Mini

Don't Buy Updates Soon
Mac Mini

  • Less powerful than other Apple desktop offerings like the iMac and the Mac Pro, the Mac mini is Apple's most affordable and compact desktop computer that's billed as a "bring your own display, keyboard, and mouse" device. It was updated on October 16, 2014, adding Haswell processors, 802.11ac Wi-Fi, PCIe-based flash storage in some models, and Thunderbolt 2.


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Days since last release

958
Oct 2014
 

Average

 
438

Recent releases

723
Oct 2012
 
461
Jul 2011
 
400
Jun 2010
 
238
Oct 2009
 
231
Mar 2009
 
574
Aug 2007
 

Recent Rumors

May 30 2017 Intel's Upcoming Coffee Lake Processors Up to 30% Faster Than Kaby Lake Chips Coming to Mac Notebooks
Apr 06 2017 Apple May Be Working on 8K Display and New High-End Mac Mini
Apr 04 2017 Apple Says Mac Mini is 'Important' But Remains Tight-Lipped About Future Updates
Jan 03 2017 Intel Announces Full Lineup of Kaby Lake Processors for iMac, MacBook Pro, and More
Dec 30 2016 What to Expect From Apple in 2017: iPhone 8, 10-Inch iPad Pro, Refreshed iMacs, and More
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Apple Watch

Neutral Mid-product Cycle
Apple Watch

  • Apple Watch Series 2 launched on September 16, 2016 with GPS, 50-meter water resistance with swimming support, a brighter display, and a faster processor. New band options debuted on March 21, 2017, but a more substantial upgrade isn't expected until the fall.


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Days since last release

265
Sep 2016
 

Average

 
518

Recent releases

518
Apr 2015
 

Recent Rumors

May 30 2017 Apple Seeds Second Beta of watchOS 3.2.3 to Developers
May 24 2017 Apple Watch Proves Most Accurate at Measuring Heart Rate in New Fitness Tracker Study
May 24 2017 Apple Said to Aim for Trial Production of Micro-LED Displays by End of 2017
May 22 2017 Nike Announces New Apple Watch Bands With Matching Running Shoes
May 18 2017 Apple CEO Tim Cook Spotted Testing Apple Watch-Connected Glucose Monitor
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Apple TV

Don't Buy Updates Soon
Apple TV

  • Apple's long-awaited fourth-generation Apple TV features an A8 processor and 32 to 64GB of storage, along with a touch-based remote control that doubles as a gaming controller. It has a brand new operating system, "tvOS," which includes deep Siri integration and a full App Store.


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Days since last release

583
Oct 2015
 

Average

 
512

Recent releases

231
Mar 2015
 
1097
Mar 2012
 
553
Sep 2010
 
352
Sep 2009
 
608
Jan 2008
 
230
May 2007
 

Recent Rumors

May 30 2017 Apple's 'Carpool Karaoke' TV Series to Debut on August 8
May 30 2017 Apple Seeds Second Beta of tvOS 10.2.2 to Developers
May 16 2017 Apple Seeds First Beta of tvOS 10.2.2 to Developers
May 15 2017 Apple Seeking Programming Chief to Lead Video Efforts
May 15 2017 Apple Releases tvOS 10.2.1 for Fourth-Generation Apple TV
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iPod Nano

Don't Buy Updates Soon
iPod Nano

  • The iPod nano saw its last significant update in September 2012, with several color updates since that time. The most recent color update came on July 15, 2015, with the iPod nano now available in space gray, silver, gold, pink, blue, and red.


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Days since last release

686
Jul 2015
 

Average

 
417

Recent releases

673
Sep 2013
 
336
Oct 2012
 
371
Oct 2011
 
398
Sep 2010
 
357
Sep 2009
 
365
Sep 2008
 

Recent Rumors

Jan 19 2017 Apple Officially Ends iPod Nano Replacement Program, but Still Honoring Requests
Oct 24 2016 The Original iPod Turns 15 Years Old
Jul 15 2015 Apple Launches A8-Based iPod Touch With 8MP Camera, Adds New Nano and Shuffle Colors
Jul 15 2015 Apple Store Goes Down Ahead of Expected iPod Refresh
Jul 13 2015 Apple Constraining iPod, iPad Mini 2 and iPad Air Inventory Sent to Third-Party Retailers
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iPod Shuffle

Don't Buy Updates Soon
iPod Shuffle

  • At $49, the clip-on 2 GB iPod shuffle is Apple's cheapest and smallest iPod model. Aside from changes to color options, the iPod shuffle has not been updated since September 2010, with the most recent color update coming on July 15, 2015.


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Days since last release

686
Jul 2015
 

Average

 
451

Recent releases

673
Sep 2013
 
1105
Sep 2010
 
357
Sep 2009
 
182
Mar 2009
 
183
Sep 2008
 
203
Feb 2008
 

Recent Rumors

Oct 24 2016 The Original iPod Turns 15 Years Old
Jul 15 2015 Apple Launches A8-Based iPod Touch With 8MP Camera, Adds New Nano and Shuffle Colors
Jul 15 2015 Apple Store Goes Down Ahead of Expected iPod Refresh
Jul 13 2015 Apple Constraining iPod, iPad Mini 2 and iPad Air Inventory Sent to Third-Party Retailers
Jul 10 2015 Apple Rumored to Announce New iPod Touch, Nano and Shuffle Around July 14
Read More Rumors