Apple treats us to ‘Scary Fast’ October event that could finally deliver M3 iMacs

Apple has sent out a surprise invite to what appears to be the live stream of a product launch event with few details beyond the words "Scary Fast."

The invite, which arrived on Tuesday, promises an online event on October 30 at 5 PM PT, or 12am GMT / 11am AEDT on October 31. Beyond that, there are virtually no details, though we can assume Apple will stream from its headquarters in California. We can also make educated guesses about all we'll see on Halloween Eve.

Looming large on the invite is an iconic Apple logo that, aside from being mostly black and backlit, brings to mind Apple's first product line: the Mac. Naturally, the words "Scary fast" align with that notion. By the way, there's a period after the "Scary fast" which seems intentional, like this is, at least as far as Apple is concerned, the last word in speed.

There have been weeks of rumors about the possible introduction of the long-awaited M3. This bit of Apple Silicon is expected to power possibly a brand new iMac (24-inch), possibly new Mac Minis, and a MacBook Air. MacBook Pros will more likely remain on M2 Pro chips until, perhaps, Apple unveils a possible M3 Pro in the WWDC 2024 timeframe. Apple watcher and respected analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, however, believes we should expect an M3 MacBook Pro, which runs counter to his original prediction for a MacBook Pro update slipping into 2024.

There is, by the way, clear evidence from Apple that this is all about the Mac. Bloomberg's Mark Gurman noticed that the invite logo on Apple's Event page turns into the macOS's Finder icon (see below).

As for what we can expect from the M3 chip, Apple has been mum on the matter, but most rumors and industry watchers point to a larger generational performance leap than what we got from the M2. It should be a 3nm process chip, which promises, especially, far better efficiency while still pumping out industry-leading performance.

Boo! Something extra

What we're looking at here, overall, is another fast-paced online product and innovation introduction that features Apple's latest Apple Silicon and the systems, possibly three, that will run it.

It's unlikely that Apple's October event will feature any other side products or updates. Few expect an Apple TV Plus content update or new streaming hardware. However, there is an outside chance that the many iPad rumors we've been fielding over the past few weeks will also come to fruition in the form of an iPad Pro (maybe 14-inch) running the anticipated new M3 chip.

Whatever Apple does launch on October 30, TechRadar will bring it all to you live. So get ready to park yourself in front of a TV connected to Apple TV, YouTube, your best iPhone, or your best iPad to follow along with all the Apple fun. Don't worry, you can do this while still working on your Halloween costume. Maybe someone will go as an M3 chip.

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