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When it comes to upcoming Apple<\/span> product launches, you never really know what to expect until the company makes an official announcement. However, Apple tends to release certain products on a regular schedule, providing possible clues about what’s to come. Leaks and rumors also paint a picture of potential gadgets we may see throughout 2023, such as the iPhone 15<\/span> and\u00a0Apple’s long-rumored “mixed-reality” headset<\/span>.<\/p>\n If the reports turn out to be accurate, 2023 could mark several firsts for Apple’s product lineup. We may see the company’s first AR\/VR headset, the first iPhone with USB-C<\/span> and the first 15-inch MacBook Air, for example. As for other products like AirPods, the Apple TV and the iPad,\u00a0Bloomberg reports<\/a> we likely won’t see major changes to those product lines this year.<\/p>\n The debut of a mixed-reality headset would signal an entirely new product category for Apple, while the other updates suggest Apple is further optimizing its devices to contend with Android and Windows competitors that offer bigger screens and universal USB-C charging.<\/p>\n Apple has already released several new products this year, including a new yellow version of the iPhone 14<\/span>, an updated HomePod<\/span>, a Mac Mini<\/span>\u00a0with the M2 and M2 Pro chips, and MacBook Pro<\/span> computers with the new M2 Pro and M2 Max.\u00a0<\/p>\n Here’s a look at what we’re expecting in 2023 based on Apple’s previous launches, rumors and leaks so far. Apple did not respond to a request for comment for this story.\u00a0<\/p>\n From left to right: the iPhone 14 Pro Max, iPhone 14 Pro, iPhone 14 Plus and iPhone 14.<\/p>\n <\/span> Apple usually launches new iPhones in September, and this year will likely be no different. Among the most significant changes we’re expecting to see in the iPhone 15<\/span> is the switch from the Lightning charging port to USB-C<\/span>. That’s because there are new rules requiring tech products sold in Europe to support USB-C by 2024<\/span>. Still, it’s unclear whether Apple will fully embrace the transition to USB-C across the entire iPhone 15 lineup, or if it will make a region-specific model for Europe.<\/p>\n Another potential update could include the Dynamic Island’s arrival on standard non-Pro iPhone 15 models, Ross Young, CEO of Display Supply Chain Consultants,\u00a0tweeted<\/a> in September. At the same time, Apple could add more features to the iPhone 15 Pro that differentiate it from the base models. Such features could include a new periscope camera<\/a> with better optical zoom for the iPhone 15 Pro Max and solid-state buttons<\/a> for both Pro phones, according to TF International Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo.\u00a0<\/p>\n Read more:<\/strong>\u00a0I Want to See These 6 Features on the iPhone 15<\/span><\/p>\n Apple is rumored to release a mixed-reality headset this year.<\/p>\n <\/span> Apple’s long-anticipated mixed-reality headset<\/span> could finally make its debut in June, according to Bloomberg<\/a>, marking Apple’s first major expansion into a new product category since the Apple Watch. The headset is expected to blend elements of augmented reality, which lays digital graphics over real-world environments similar to the smartphone game Pokemon Go, and virtual reality, which envelopes users in 360-degree graphics like the $400 Meta Quest 2<\/span>.<\/p>\n But don’t expect Apple’s headset to come cheap. The device could cost $3,000 and will run on a new type of software that’s essentially a 3D version of the iPhone’s interface, Bloomberg reports. Expect it to be powered by Apple’s M2 chip, which can be found in its current MacBook lineup, the report says. Although Bloomberg reported that Apple could introduce the headset in June, a tweet from Kuo<\/a> suggests mass production of the device may have been delayed<\/span>.\u00a0<\/p>\n Tech giants from Meta to Sony to Microsoft have all tried their hand at virtual or augmented reality. But there’s an expectation that Apple’s first VR product could popularize the technology, since the company has a long track record of doing so with other products.<\/p>\n “I think Apple is going to be a big help to the market kind of like it has with, let’s face it, smartphones, tablets and smartwatches,” said Ramon Llamas, a research director at the International Data Corporation.<\/p>\n The Apple Watch Ultra (left) and Apple Watch Series 8 both launched last year.<\/p>\n <\/span> Like clockwork, Apple typically releases new Apple Watch models alongside its new iPhones in the fall. This year, however, we may see a more modest update than usual. Bloomberg reports<\/a>\u00a0that we shouldn’t expect to see significant changes to the Apple Watch this year. What that means is unclear, but it’s possible the watch could include routine updates like performance enhancements rather than significant new health-tracking features.\u00a0<\/p>\n That falls in line with the pattern that Apple has followed in recent years. Other than the addition of temperature sensing and car-crash detection, the Apple Watch Series 8<\/span> is very similar to the Series 7<\/span>. Apple has also introduced more new features through software updates rather than hardware changes in recent years, such as the ability to track sleep stages<\/span> that arrived in WatchOS 9. But I’m hoping the Series 9 inherits some features from the Apple Watch Ultra<\/span>, especially its handy Action button, which makes it easier to jump right into a workout.\u00a0<\/p>\n There haven’t been many rumors or reports about whether to expect updated Apple Watch SE<\/span> or Ultra models in 2023. But since Apple doesn’t always release special-edition products on an annual cadence, it wouldn’t be surprising to see Apple skip those updates this time around.\u00a0<\/p>\n Read more:<\/strong> All the Apple Watch Series 9 Rumors We’ve Heard So Far<\/span><\/p>\n The 2021 iMac is powered by Apple’s M1 chip.<\/p>\n <\/span> Fans of Apple’s colorful all-in-one computer may have something to look forward to this year. The company’s next iMac is at an advanced development stage, meaning it could arrive in the second half of this year, according to Bloomberg<\/a>. The refreshed computer will likely run on Apple’s rumored M3 processor<\/span>, which would be a step up from the M2 chip powering the current MacBook Pro and MacBook Air. It’ll have a 24-inch screen like the 2021 edition and will be available in the same color options, but will have some internal design changes, according to the report.\u00a0<\/p>\n The 2019 Mac Pro can cost north of $50,000.<\/p>\n <\/span> Apple is also readying a new version of its top-of-the-line Mac Pro that would run on a chip called the M2 Ultra processor, likely a successor to the M1 Ultra, according to\u00a0Bloomberg<\/a>. That would mark a departure from the current model, which debuted in 2019 and runs on Intel’s Xeon processors. The chip will reportedly have 24 CPU cores, 76 graphics cores and 192GB of memory.\u00a0<\/p>\n The $5,999 Mac Pro<\/span> is Apple’s high-end desktop computer aimed at professionals. It’s the last remaining Mac in Apple’s current lineup that doesn’t include the company’s own silicon. The report suggests it will launch between late spring and summer, meaning we might see it at Apple’s Worldwide Developers Conference in June.\u00a0<\/p>\n The M2 MacBook Air is “the most universally useful laptop you can buy,” according to CNET’s Dan Ackerman.<\/p>\niPhone 15 lineup<\/h2>\n
\n Celso Bulgatti\/CNET
\n <\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\nApple AR\/VR headset<\/h2>\n
\n James Martin\/CNET
\n <\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\nApple Watch Series 9<\/h2>\n
\n Lexy Savvides\/CNET
\n <\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\nA new iMac<\/h2>\n
\n Sarah Tew\/CNET
\n <\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\nMac Pro with M2 Ultra<\/h2>\n
\n Apple\/Screenshot by Alexandra Able\/CNET
\n <\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\nA 15-inch MacBook Air\u00a0<\/h2>\n