Does Apple still have one more present for us before Christmas?

(Image credit: Apple)

published 24 October 2021

We haven’t heard the infamous ‘one more thing’ phrase in Apple presentations since 2017 but every time I’m waiting for it. Just hoping that there’s one surprise that’s going to really knock my socks off. But recently I’ve been left disappointed.

The products we’ve seen both in September and October’s events are great but I knew they were coming. So as much as I was impressed, I was still hoping for something more. Something had hadn’t already been leaked, something that was just a pipe dream suddenly thrust into reality in the closing minutes of Tim Cook’s address.

It doesn’t even have to be huge. I’d settle for a special edition Apple Watch band or that long-awaited multi-device charger. I do however have a list of products I’d really love to see, and if Apple could squeeze in time to release one of these before the end of 2021, it would be even better.

HomePod Pro

Top of my list is still a new HomePod. We got to see new colors for the HomePod mini and the Apple Music Voice Plan, but neither provides us a way to enjoy Apple’s lossless and Dolby Atmos-infused Spatial Audio in the home. I refuse to believe there isn’t one in the works and my fingers are getting twitchy over the buy now button on the Sonos website, so I need it fast.

A premium HomePod is what the range is now crying out for and there’s certainly justification to launch one with a screen that can also handle FaceTime calls and smart home monitoring too.

Apple Display

A mid-range computer monitor is also on my list. I love the Pro Display XDR but $5k on a screen isn’t realistic for most of us, and yet I’d happily pay a bit of a premium for a nice space gray display to match my MacBook Pro. It could look just like the iMac 27-inch but cost slightly less.

AirPort Express

I understand why Apple chose to shelf the AirPort Express and Time Capsule ranges but I’d love to see these come back. They were by far, the easiest wireless routers to connect, they had excellent signal and the combination of NAS drive and router in the Time Capsule was the perfect backup solution. Now, this with Wi-Fi 6E and solid-state storage would be simply epic.

Apple TV

Finally, it’s the Apple TV where I think Apple could really impress me. The current design hasn’t been properly updated since 2017. Yes, the second gen model gave it a faster chip, higher frame rate, faster Wi-Fi and a better remote, but it’s essentially the same as before.

I’ve said it before, but I’d love to see an Apple TV that works more like an iPad and allows you to do video and audio calls through your TV – complete with an attachable webcam. Some users plug a Mac mini into their TV for this but that seems excessive. Surely there’s room for something in between?

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As T3's Editor-in-Chief, Mat Gallagher has his finger on the pulse for the latest advances in technology. He has written about technology since 2003 and after stints in Beijing, Hong Kong and Chicago is now based in the UK. He’s a true lover of gadgets, but especially anything that involves cameras, Apple, electric cars, musical instruments or travel.