Apple's last-minute Scary Fast event is weirding people out

Apple has a new, very different event planned for October. Earlier this week Apple announced a brand new event called 'Scary Fast', a mysterious title for a strange event? The virtual event will be streaming at midnight (BST) on 31 October – just in time for Halloween – and with the hints that Apple has given us I'm expecting some big Mac news.

After the somewhat predictable results of September's big Apple event earlier this year, I wasn't anticipating such a quick return from the company, but the sudden announcement has certainly grabbed my attention – so here's a rundown of what I predict will creep into view at this event. (If you want to get the best deals, check out our guide to the best iMac prices).

Apple 'Scary Fast' event: what to expect

So why exactly is this such a strange move from Apple? While Apple holds annual events across the year, this is the first case that I've seen the brand stray from its usual 6pm (BST) time slot. Whether or not this is a significant spooky timeslot for UK audiences I'm unsure, but it's currently unclear as to why Apple has selected this time (other than to coincide with its "scary" event theme).

In another wayward move, the company has forgone the mystery of the event's theme, revealing the subject with a short accompanying animation that shows the Apple logo transforming into the Finder face – a small hint that could mean big updates for Mac products. (With Black Friday on the horizon, keep up to date with the latest deals on our Apple hub).

While I can only speculate, rumours have been circulating that the "scary fast" event could see the launch of the mysterious M3 chip, that's set to make Mac software faster and more efficient than ever.

A respected analyst, Ming-Chi Kuo, published on X, "I believe M3 series MacBook Pro will be Oct 30th media event's focus". While Forbes is predicting that the event will see the launch of an updated 24-inch iMac, along with a new MacBook Pro to replace the current 14-inch and 16-inch models.

With no significant updates in the past couple of years, the iMac is also well overdue an update, which could see the launch of a new 24-inch desktop Mac, with the potential upgrade to the M2 Pro chip. While October Apple events are typically dedicated to iPad launches, it seems unlikely that we'll be receiving any updates this time around.

Let's not overlook Apple TV+, either. The brand has picked up a lot of viewers and awards for its film and TV content, and with the highly anticipated 10-episode Monarch: Legacy of Monsters launching 17 November we could get a closer look at Apple's Godzilla series, it would fit the Halloween theme nicely.

With the event rapidly approaching, it's not long before all will be revealed. For us UK-based fans it's going to be a late one, so I'll be tucked up with a big bowl of Halloween candy to see what "scary" surprises Apple has in store (and I'm not talking about Tim Cook's acting.)

If you missed the announcements in September check out our coverage of Apple's "Wonderlust" event for all the details, and take a look at the internet's hilarious reaction to the new iPhone 15 colours.