What to expect from Apple’s One More Thing event this evening

South Africa might be all about the iPhone when it comes to Apple’s kit but the pending One More Thing event, which takes place later this evening, has something a little special in store for fans. That is, (most likely) the announcement of the first Apple MacBooks powered by Apple’s very own processors. Intel’s probably not very happy about this…

The valley of silicon

The biggest thing incoming will be new MacBook models, bearing the first Apple-made processors to grace the company’s notebook hardware. But not, we reckon, the last. This is probably the beginning of an extensive shift from the tech-maker, one that will see AMD and Intel out in the cold.

Rumour suggests that it’s more than just one model of MacBook on the way. We could see two, or possibly three versions announced tonight. A 13in MacBook Air, a 13in MacBook Pro and a 16in Pro are all thought to be on the cards for this evening. It’s unlikely there will be anything really new visually — just new internals and claims of a whole lot more speed and efficiency. We’re expecting launch dates and pre-orders, for the international folks. We’ll probably have to wait a while before we get a chance to play.

There is a little more rumour out there, with talk of fewer notebooks being launch, a 12in MacBook turning up or desktop Mac machines. Those are a little less likely to come true but we’ll be waiting in case they do.

macOS 12 Big Sur will launch

This one’s a bit of a no-brainer. Apple’s got macOS 12, known as Big Sur (because mountains), on the way and since they’re announcing new notebook hardware, it makes sense to announce the new operating system’s availability at the same time. Odds are that macOSM 12 will launch immediately. If not, it’ll land at the same time as the new Apple-focused hardware does.

One More Thing-ception

Apple’s possibly got a surprise in store for us. Previous events this year have all included something unexpected, with the HomePod Mini being the standout of the previous two. We’ve long been predicting that Apple’s got its AirTags on the way, as well as over-ear headphones — called the AirPods Studio — either seems like a possibility but the chatter around AirTags makes it seem like the likelier choice when it comes to an added extra. Either way, we’ll be happy. Give us both, though, and we’ll be thrilled.

How to watch One More Thing

Want to watch all the action, as it unfolds? You can watch it all on Apple’s homepage, if you’re feeling traditional but you can also catch it here (at the video embed above) or on YouTube (same link), on the Stuff website as we get the details (if you’re more of a reader and less of a watcher) or on Twitter — because that’s how Apple rolls these days. Even more so in a time of COVID. Proceedings start at 20:00 this evening.