New devices leaked in macOS 15.1 beta

macOS 15.1 beta is full of references to new Apple products. Here’s what you need to know.

New devices leaked in macOS 15.1 beta

On Monday, July 29, a beta version of iOS 18.4 was released. This was followed by updates for all current operating systems that patch various security vulnerabilities, such as iOS 17.6 and watchOS 10.6.

We now also have some clues about what is yet to come. @aaronp613 noted on X (formerly Twitter) that the macOS Sequoia 15.1 beta contains all sorts of hints for devices releasing this year and next.

These are the model designations in MacOS 15.1 beta

iPhoney

• iPhone17.1
• iPhone17.2
• iPhone17.3
• iPhone17.4
• iPhone18.1
• iPhone18.2
• iPhone18.3
• iPhone18.4

iPad

• iPad17.1
• iPad17.2
• ipad17.3
• iPad17.4

The model designations don’t tell us much about what exactly is coming, but we can still draw some conclusions. The iPhones almost certainly refer to the iPhone 16 and iPhone 17, as the iPhone SE will likely share the same identifier as the iPhone 16 (iPhone 17.5). The iPad listings likely refer to variants of the iPad Mini 7, and possibly the iPad 11 (Wi-Fi and cellular models).

Macs

• Mac16.3
• Mac16.5
• Mac16.6
• Mac16.7
• Mac16.8
• Mac16.9
• Mac17.1
• Mac17.2

When it comes to Macs, the model designations in macOS 15.1 beta are a bit more ambiguous, but we can still explain them a bit. The Macs released so far this year all have a model designation that starts with “15.” The new MacBook Air models with M3 are designated “Mac15.12” and “Mac15.13.” The MacBook Pro models from November 2023 are designated “Mac15.3,” “Mac15.6,” “Mac15.10,” “Mac15.8,” “Mac15.7,” “Mac15.11,” and “Mac15.9.”

So it’s possible that these models won’t be released until 2025 or 2026. While you don’t see model numbers like “Mac15.1” or “Mac15.2” on the list, it’s clear that Apple is giving every Mac with the same generation of Apple Silicon the same higher model number. So “15” stands for “M3.” So the Macs with model number “Mac16.x” must be the Macs with the M4 chip.

iPhone 16 coming in September

Rumors about new iPads and Macs aren’t as clear-cut as those surrounding the iPhone 16. The iPad Mini 7 might be unveiled during the upcoming iPhone keynote, as Apple usually unveils the small iPad in September.

When the iPad 11 will be released is even less clear, as Apple has not yet followed a set pattern for the release dates of these iPads. However, an entry-level iPad has been released every year since the 6th generation in 2018, with 2023 as the absolute exception.