Don't get too excited about Apple's surprise December event
Apple has started sending out invitations for a December event − but don't get too excited. Rather than the launch of something shiny and new, it looks like it will be… a look back at some of the company's favourite apps and games of the year.
We imagine it will be a small media gathering rather than a full-blown, live-streamed press event, but that hasn't stopped tongues from wagging.
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Lance Ulanoff, who is the Editor-in-Chief of Lifewire Tech, posted a screenshot of the invitation on Twitter. He says the event has been scheduled for December 2, and that it will take place in New York City.
This is unexpected. Apple Event. December 2 in NYC. pic.twitter.com/ok4UtcAylC
- Lance Ulanoff (@LanceUlanoff) November 18, 2019
Though it appears that Apple didn't want anybody who received the invitation from posting about it yet…
The fact that there was something happening on Dec 2 was also embargoed till then https://t.co/8CygvIb9G0
- Mark Gurman (@markgurman) November 18, 2019
Bloomberg reporter Mark Gurman, who's very reliable when it comes to all things Apple, has said that this will not be a product-focused event:
That's because nothing new product-wise is being announced. Apple announces its annual App Store Best Of list this time each year. December 3rd in 2018: https://t.co/7ZzfL78Gtr https://t.co/owVV0ifJO4
- Mark Gurman (@markgurman) November 18, 2019
We had been expecting Apple to hold another event before the end of 2019, but had pretty much given up hope when October and most of November went by without a peep from the company.
The fact that Apple has launched the 16-inch MacBook Pro 2019 and AirPods Pro with very little fanfare over recent weeks didn't exactly raise our levels of optimism.
An announcement, or at least a discussion, of something along these lines seems more likely than new product releases. No leaks have indicated a new product is incoming at the December event and announcing something so late would mean Apple lost out on a lot of festive sales.
While we're not expecting any big announcements, we do have one key question. Could there be a discussion of the much-rumoured Apple "mega-bundle" which will reportedly see music, games and TV all brought together via Apple's new platforms, Apple Arcade and Apple TV Plus?
Related: Apple TV Plus, News Plus, Arcade and Music could be 2020's must-have bundle
This all encompassing mega-bundle appears to be Apple's endgame, but whether or not it's real remains a mystery for now.
