Buyer's Guide

This page provides a product summary for each Apple model. The intent is to provide our best recommendations regarding current product cycles, and to provide a summary of currently available rumors for each model.

This page is based on rumors and speculation and we provide no guarantee to its accuracy.

iPhone / iPad / iPod iPhone iPad iPod Touch iPod Shuffle iPod Nano iPod Classic

Portables MacBook Pro MacBook Air Other Apple Cinema Display

Desktop Macs Mac Mini iMac Mac Pro

iPod Touch

Recommendation

Buy Now! Product just updated

Last Release

September 12, 2012

Days Since Update

40 (Avg = 336)

 Recent Rumors

• Oct 11 2012: iFixit Tears Down Apple's Fifth-Generation iPod Touch

• Oct 10 2012: Reviews of the Fifth-Generation iPod Touch and Seventh-Generation iPod Nano

• Oct 09 2012: New iPod Touch and iPod Nano Begin Shipping, Photos and Benchmarks Posted

• Oct 05 2012: Apple Preparing to Begin Shipping Fifth-Generation iPod Touch to Customers

• Sep 12 2012: Apple Announces 4-Inch iPod Touch, Multitouch iPod Nano

• Read More Rumors...

Recent Releases

???

40 days

Sep 2012

344 days

Oct 2011

398 days

Sep 2010

357 days

Sep 2009

365 days

Sep 2008

217 days

iPod Nano

Recommendation

Buy Now! Product just updated

Last Release

September 12, 2012

Days Since Update

40 (Avg = 367)

 Recent Rumors

• Oct 10 2012: Reviews of the Fifth-Generation iPod Touch and Seventh-Generation iPod Nano

• Oct 09 2012: New iPod Touch and iPod Nano Begin Shipping, Photos and Benchmarks Posted

• Sep 12 2012: Apple Announces 4-Inch iPod Touch, Multitouch iPod Nano

• Sep 12 2012: 'iPhone 5' Name Prematurely Revealed on Apple's Site [Updated]

• Sep 07 2012: Apple Splitting iPod Touch Lineup Between Current and New Designs, Increasing Color Options for iPod Shuffle and New Nano?

• Read More Rumors...

Recent Releases

???

40 days

Sep 2012

344 days

Oct 2011

398 days

Sep 2010

357 days

Sep 2009

365 days

Sep 2008

370 days

iPhone

Recommendation

Buy Now! Product just updated

Last Release

September 12, 2012

Days Since Update

40 (Avg = 336)

 Recent Rumors

• Oct 18 2012: Apple Looks to Distributors to Expand iPhone Sales in India

• Oct 18 2012: iPhone 5 Represented 21% of Verizon's 3.1 Million iPhone Activations in 3Q 2012

• Oct 17 2012: Foxconn Executive Speaks to Difficulty of iPhone 5 Assembly

• Oct 10 2012: Increased iPhone 5 Quality Control Standards to Address Scratches Slowing Production

• Oct 09 2012: iPhone Usage Among U.S. Teens Hits 40% as iPad Continues to Gain Traction

• Read More Rumors...

Recent Releases

???

40 days

Sep 2012

344 days

Oct 2011

467 days

Jun 2010

381 days

Jun 2009

333 days

Jul 2008

156 days

iPod Shuffle

Recommendation

Buy Now! Product just updated

Last Release

September 12, 2012

Days Since Update

40 (Avg = 333)

 Recent Rumors

• Sep 12 2012: Apple Announces 4-Inch iPod Touch, Multitouch iPod Nano

• Sep 12 2012: Apple's New iOS Device Marketing: 'Lightning' Dock Connector, 'Earpod' Headphones, 'Loop' Accessory

• Sep 07 2012: Apple Splitting iPod Touch Lineup Between Current and New Designs, Increasing Color Options for iPod Shuffle and New Nano?

• Sep 04 2012: Updated iPods Arriving Alongside Next-Generation iPhone

• Nov 10 2011: Apple Researching Integrated Speaker for iPod Nano and Shuffle

• Read More Rumors...

Recent Releases

???

40 days

Sep 2012

742 days

Sep 2010

357 days

Sep 2009

182 days

Mar 2009

183 days

Sep 2008

203 days

MacBook Air

Recommendation

Neutral - Mid-product cycle

Last Release

June 11, 2012

Days Since Update

133 (Avg = 322)

 Recent Rumors

• Sep 26 2012: Apple Reportedly Sourcing Thinner Components for 2013 MacBook Air and MacBook Pro

• Sep 19 2012: Apple Releases MacBook Pro Retina EFI Update 1.0

• Jun 29 2012: Google Chrome Causing Freezing and Crashing on New Mac Notebooks

• Jun 12 2012: Benchmarks for Mid-2012 MacBook Pro and MacBook Air

• Jun 12 2012: Teardown of Mid-2012 MacBook Air Reveals Tweaked SSD Connector

• Read More Rumors...

Recent Releases

???

133 days

Jun 2012

327 days

Jul 2011

273 days

Oct 2010

499 days

Jun 2009

237 days

Oct 2008

273 days

MacBook Pro

Recommendation

Neutral - Mid-product cycle

Last Release

June 11, 2012

Days Since Update

133 (Avg = 267)

 Recent Rumors

• Oct 19 2012: New Photos of 13-Inch Retina MacBook Pro Show Battery Layout, Ports, and More [Updated]

• Oct 19 2012: MacRumors Roundups for iPad Mini, 13-Inch Retina MacBook Pro, iMac, Mac Mini

• Oct 19 2012: 13-Inch Retina MacBook Pro Pricing to Start at Roughly $1699

• Oct 16 2012: EPEAT Verifies Retina MacBook Pro Eligibility for Environmental Registry

• Oct 15 2012: 13-Inch Retina MacBook Pro Said to Carry 'Unprecedented' Battery Design, Same Port Layout as 15-Inch Model

• Read More Rumors...

Recent Releases

???

133 days

Jun 2012

231 days

Oct 2011

242 days

Feb 2011

317 days

Apr 2010

309 days

Jun 2009

237 days

iPad

Recommendation

Neutral - Mid-product cycle

Last Release

March 07, 2012

Days Since Update

229 (Avg = 352)

 Recent Rumors

• Oct 19 2012: Tweaked Full-Size iPad with Lightning Connector Coming Next Week

• Oct 09 2012: iPad to Be Updated with UK 4G LTE Support, iPad Mini to Be Wi-Fi Only?

• Oct 09 2012: iPhone Usage Among U.S. Teens Hits 40% as iPad Continues to Gain Traction

• Oct 05 2012: New iPad Shows Up in App Analytics Running A6-Based Chip

• Oct 03 2012: Wall Street Journal: Apple Has Begun Mass Production of the iPad Mini

• Read More Rumors...

Recent Releases

???

229 days

Mar 2012

362 days

Mar 2011

342 days

Apr 2010

0 days

Mac Pro

Recommendation

Don't Buy - Still outdated, next possible update in 2013

Last Release

June 11, 2012

Days Since Update

133 (Avg = 427)

 Recent Rumors

• Aug 09 2012: Boot Camp Files Hint at New Mac Pro and iMac Models [Updated]

• Jun 12 2012: Apple Spokesperson Confirms New Mac Pro Designs Likely Coming in 2013 [Update: Not iMac]

• Jun 12 2012: Apple Admits 'New' Mac Pro Isn't All That New

• Jun 11 2012: David Pogue: New iMacs and Mac Pro's Coming "Probably in 2013" [Update]

• Jun 11 2012: Apple Offers Minor Processor Bump to Mac Pro Line, No Thunderbolt

• Read More Rumors...

Recent Releases

???

133 days

Jun 2012

685 days

Jul 2010

511 days

Mar 2009

420 days

Jan 2008

279 days

Apr 2007

240 days

Apple Cinema Display

Recommendation

Don't Buy - Updates soon

Last Release

September 15, 2011

Days Since Update

403 (Avg = 399)

 Recent Rumors

• Jun 13 2012: Apple Including Free MagSafe 2 Converter with Thunderbolt Display

• Sep 29 2011: Apple Quietly Releases Fix for Flickering on 24-Inch LED Cinema Display over Thunderbolt [Update: Pulled]

• Sep 28 2011: Apple Thunderbolt Display Teardown Reveals Plethora of Hardware Inside

• Sep 16 2011: Apple Thunderbolt Display with Multiple Monitors: No Daisy Chaining Mini DisplayPort Monitors [Updated]

• Sep 15 2011: Thunderbolt Displays Shipping to Customers

• Read More Rumors...

Recent Releases

???

403 days

Sep 2011

415 days

Jul 2010

651 days

Oct 2008

559 days

Apr 2007

240 days

Aug 2006

132 days

Mac Mini

Recommendation

Don't Buy - Updates soon

Last Release

July 20, 2011

Days Since Update

460 (Avg = 356)

 Recent Rumors

• Oct 19 2012: MacRumors Roundups for iPad Mini, 13-Inch Retina MacBook Pro, iMac, Mac Mini

• Oct 18 2012: New iMac and Mac Mini Models to Retain Current Pricing, Add 8 GB RAM Module Options

• Oct 15 2012: Apple to Launch New Mac Mini at Next Week's Media Event?

• Jun 04 2012: Apple to Update Nearly Entire Mac Lineup at WWDC?

• Jan 23 2012: EFI Firmware Update Brings Lion Internet Recovery to Mid-2010 13-Inch MacBook Pro [Updated]

• Read More Rumors...

Recent Releases

???

460 days

Jul 2011

400 days

Jun 2010

238 days

Oct 2009

231 days

Mar 2009

574 days

Aug 2007

335 days

iMac

Recommendation

Don't Buy - Updates soon

Last Release

May 03, 2011

Days Since Update

538 (Avg = 273)

 Recent Rumors

• Oct 19 2012: Apple Notifies iMac Owners of Expanded Seagate Hard Drive Recall

• Oct 19 2012: MacRumors Roundups for iPad Mini, 13-Inch Retina MacBook Pro, iMac, Mac Mini

• Oct 18 2012: New iMac and Mac Mini Models to Retain Current Pricing, Add 8 GB RAM Module Options

• Oct 16 2012: iMac Reportedly Set to Receive Updates Next Week [Updated]

• Oct 14 2012: 2012 iMac Said to Carry Thinner Design, Alleged Internals Photo Surfaces

• Read More Rumors...

Recent Releases

???

538 days

May 2011

280 days

Jul 2010

280 days

Oct 2009

231 days

Mar 2009

309 days

Apr 2008

265 days

iPod Classic

Recommendation

Don't Buy - Updates soon

Last Release

September 09, 2009

Days Since Update

1139 (Avg = 307)

 Recent Rumors

• Sep 30 2011: Apple Removes iPod Click Wheel Games from iTunes

• Sep 27 2011: Apple to Discontinue iPod Classic and iPod Shuffle?

• Mar 22 2011: Steve Jobs: 'No Plans' to Discontinue iPod Classic

• Mar 18 2011: Is the iPod Classic Done? 10 Years of iPod

• Feb 08 2011: iPod Classic Supplies Tightening Ahead of Possible Update or Discontinuation

• Read More Rumors...

Recent Releases

???

1139 days

Sep 2009

365 days

Sep 2008

370 days

Sep 2007

358 days

Sep 2006

335 days

Oct 2005

106 days