Buyer's Guide

[sparkyscott21]

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

MacBook AirRecommendationBuy Now! Product just updatedLast ReleaseJuly 20, 2011Days Since Update57 (Avg = 321)

Recent Rumors
• 09/12: Apple Preps for Thunderbolt Display Release with MacBook Air EFI Firmware Update
• 07/29: New MacBook Air Using Scaled-Down Thunderbolt Chip
• 07/26: Apple Finishing Up Work on an Ultra-Thin 15" Mac Notebook [Updated]
• 07/26: Apple Still Using SSDs With Varying Speeds on New MacBook Air
• 07/21: Teardown Confirms Apple Still Using Modular Solid-State Drive on New MacBook Air
• Read More Rumors...
Recent Releases
???57 days
07/2011273 days
10/2010499 days
06/2009237 days
10/2008273 days
01/20080 days

Apple Cinema DisplayRecommendationBuy Now! Product just updatedLast ReleaseJuly 20, 2011Days Since Update57 (Avg = 310)

Recent Rumors
• 09/15: Thunderbolt Displays Shipping to Customers
• 09/12: Apple Preps for Thunderbolt Display Release with MacBook Air EFI Firmware Update
• 07/20: Notes of Interest on OS X Lion, MacBook Air, Mac Mini, and Display Announcements
• 07/20: Apple Releases New Sandy Bridge Mac Minis and Thunderbolt Display
• 07/15: Apple's Upcoming Hardware Refresh to Include Thunderbolt LED Display, Not MacBook [Updated x4]
• Read More Rumors...
Recent Releases
???57 days
07/2011358 days
07/2010651 days
10/2008559 days
04/2007240 days
08/2006132 days

Mac MiniRecommendationBuy Now! Product just updatedLast ReleaseJuly 20, 2011Days Since Update57 (Avg = 265)

Recent Rumors
• 09/14: Apple Moves Closer to Thunderbolt Display Release with MacBook Pro and Mac Mini Firmware Updates
• 07/22: Mac Mini Teardown Reveals Potential for User-Installable Second Hard Drive
• 07/21: New Mac Mini Benchmarks Show Significant Performance Gains
• 07/20: Notes of Interest on OS X Lion, MacBook Air, Mac Mini, and Display Announcements
• 07/20: Apple Releases New Sandy Bridge Mac Minis and Thunderbolt Display
• Read More Rumors...
Recent Releases
???57 days
07/2011400 days
06/2010238 days
10/2009231 days
03/2009574 days
08/2007335 days

iPadRecommendationNeutral - Mid-product cycleLast ReleaseMarch 11, 2011Days Since Update189 (Avg = 342)

Recent Rumors
• 09/14: Sprint-Specific iPad Ready for Launch as Soon as Next Month?
• 09/14: Apple's iPad Tops Worldwide Tablet Market in 2Q11 with 68% of Shipments
• 09/14: Apple Reportedly Ready to Begin iPad Production in Brazil
• 09/13: Survey Suggests 'Unprecedented' Demand for iPhone 5
• 09/12: NBC, TNT and TBS Bring Full-Length TV Episodes to iOS Devices
• Read More Rumors...
Recent Releases
???189 days
03/2011342 days
04/20100 days

iMacRecommendationNeutral - Mid-product cycleLast ReleaseMay 03, 2011Days Since Update135 (Avg = 229)

Recent Rumors
• 08/24: Apple Releases iMac Graphics Firmware Update to Address Freezing Issues
• 07/12: Apple Could Adopt AMD's New Radeon HD 6990M GPU for Next iMac
• 06/15: 27-Inch iMac Core i7 With SSD Is Fastest Mac Ever
• 06/08: Apple Addresses Graphics Issues on Mid 2011 iMacs With Firmware Update
• 05/12: Apple Restricts Hard Drive Replacements on New iMacs
• Read More Rumors...
Recent Releases
???135 days
05/2011280 days
07/2010280 days
10/2009231 days
03/2009309 days
04/2008265 days

MacBook ProRecommendationBuy only if you need it - Approaching the end of a cycleLast ReleaseFebruary 24, 2011Days Since Update203 (Avg = 215)

Recent Rumors
• 09/15: MacBook Pro Firmware Update Addresses SATA 3.0 Drive Performance Issues
• 09/14: Apple Brings Lion Internet Recovery to Current MacBook Pro Models
• 09/14: Apple Moves Closer to Thunderbolt Display Release with MacBook Pro and Mac Mini Firmware Updates
• 09/13: Apple May Processor Bump MacBook Pros in 2011
• 09/13: Intel's Ivy Bridge CPU to Allow for Smaller Quad-Core MacBook Pros
• Read More Rumors...
Recent Releases
???203 days
02/2011317 days
04/2010309 days
06/2009237 days
10/2008231 days
02/2008266 days

iPod TouchRecommendationDon't Buy - Updates soonLast ReleaseSeptember 01, 2010Days Since Update379 (Avg = 313)

Recent Rumors
• 09/12: NBC, TNT and TBS Bring Full-Length TV Episodes to iOS Devices
• 09/12: Apple Sending iOS 5 to iPhone Assemblers at End of September, No Sign of Redesigned iPhone 5
• 09/07: Fresh Claims of 3G-Capable iPod Touch in Development
• 09/01: Photos of Headphone Jack from White Fifth-Generation iPod Touch
• 07/25: Apple Releases iOS 4.3.5 to Address Security Issue With Certificate Validation
• Read More Rumors...
Recent Releases
???379 days
09/2010357 days
09/2009365 days
09/2008217 days
02/20080 days

iPod NanoRecommendationDon't Buy - Updates soonLast ReleaseSeptember 01, 2010Days Since Update379 (Avg = 304)

Recent Rumors
• 05/12: Apple Patent Application Suggests Camera-Equipped iPod Nano With Situation-Aware Screen Savers
• 09/01: Apple Announces All-New iPod Models: Shuffle, Nano and Touch
• 09/09: Apple Updates Entire iPod Family, Bringing Capacity and Performance Bumps to iPod Touch and Video Camera to iPod Nano
• 09/09: 4th Generation iPod Nano: Accelerometer, Genius, Colors, Taller
• 09/05: New iPod Nano Released
• Read More Rumors...
Recent Releases
???379 days
09/2010357 days
09/2009365 days
09/2008370 days
09/2007358 days
09/2006217 days

Mac ProRecommendationDon't Buy - Updates soonLast ReleaseJuly 27, 2010Days Since Update415 (Avg = 259)

Recent Rumors
• 09/08: Sandy Bridge E Processors Suitable for Mac Pro Update Due November 15th?
• 07/13: Those Were Mac Mini and White MacBook Part Numbers, Not Mac Pros
• 07/11: Apple to Release Updated MacBook Air and Mac Pro Models This Week?
• 06/24: New Mac Pros With Up to 16 Cores Coming in Late July/Early August?
• 06/20: Mac Pro to Use Custom Intel CPU? More Details on Mac Mini and Time Capsule
• Read More Rumors...
Recent Releases
???415 days
07/2010511 days
03/2009420 days
01/2008279 days
04/2007240 days
08/2006292 days

iPod ShuffleRecommendationDon't Buy - Updates soonLast ReleaseSeptember 01, 2010Days Since Update379 (Avg = 229)

Recent Rumors
• 09/01: Apple Announces All-New iPod Models: Shuffle, Nano and Touch
• 09/09: Apple Updates Entire iPod Family, Bringing Capacity and Performance Bumps to iPod Touch and Video Camera to iPod Nano
• 03/11: Apple Releases Smaller 4GB iPod Shuffle with 'VoiceOver' and Playlist Support
• 09/09: 4th Generation iPod Nano: Accelerometer, Genius, Colors, Taller
• 02/19: Apple Drops iPod Shuffle Price to $49, Adds 2GB Model at $69
• Read More Rumors...
Recent Releases
???379 days
09/2010357 days
09/2009182 days
03/2009183 days
09/2008203 days
02/2008167 days

iPhoneRecommendationDon't Buy - Updates soonLast ReleaseJune 24, 2010Days Since Update449 (Avg = 256)

Recent Rumors
• 09/15: iPhone 5 Announcement 'Just Weeks Away'
• 09/15: Page 2: Apple Experiencing Constrained Stocks of iPhone 4 Bumper
• 09/15: Case-Mate Preps for Release of iPhone 5 Cases with Revamped Design
• 09/15: China Mobile Reaffirms Discussions with Apple for TD-LTE iPhone
• 09/15: TSMC's 'Rush Orders' Presumably Fueling Broadcom Part Supplies for iPhone 5
• Read More Rumors...
Recent Releases
???449 days
06/2010381 days
06/2009333 days
07/2008156 days
02/2008153 days
09/20070 days

iPod ClassicRecommendationDon't Buy - Updates soonLast ReleaseSeptember 09, 2009Days Since Update736 (Avg = 248)

Recent Rumors
• 09/09: Apple Updates Entire iPod Family, Bringing Capacity and Performance Bumps to iPod Touch and Video Camera to iPod Nano
• 09/09: 4th Generation iPod Nano: Accelerometer, Genius, Colors, Taller
• 09/05: Apple Releases iPod Classic
• 09/12: iPod Updated
• 10/12: New iPods - Video Support, TV Episodes, Music Videos

As of 9-15-11
Source

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