It will almost certainly be Apple's last event of 2024, but many question marks remained

Yes, the "Scary Fast" event was not short on announcements, given that we got three different M3 chips powering three different computers Nonetheless, it feels like there were some major missed opportunities for Apple

Below are the five main ones we missed and the prospects of them coming in the next 12 months

It's great that Apple hasn't forgotten about the iMac This colorful 24-inch model was overdue for a refresh, as it still had the first-generation M1 chipset According to Apple, the move to M3 will provide twice the speed for buyers willing to upgrade

But do you know what's even more overdue for an upgrade? It's the discontinued 27-inch iMac For many, the 24-inch screen of the all-in-one computer is not enough, and they want something bigger

According to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, it will come soon Earlier this month he wrote that a 32-inch model is on Apple's roadmap at some point after the 24-inch iMac refresh, so hopefully we'll see a big-screen iMac land before 2024 is over Analyst Ming-Chi Kuo predicts it could be 2025, though

One way Apple could satisfy users who prefer a large screen would be a revamped Mac mini This thin desktop does not come with a screen and can be connected to anything via HDMI

But it was a no-show; one was apparently being tested in August, but why Apple missed the timing of its debut is a mystery Perhaps the company did not want to overshadow the iMac's resurgence

In any case, this will no doubt appear before the end of 2024, so it is hard to recommend purchasing the current M2 Mac mini at this time unless it is a phenomenal bargain

Apple's non-Pro iPad should be almost ready to appear, but for some reason Apple seems to have pushed it back to 2024

To be clear, they were always a longshot for the "Scary Fast" event, where Apple made it pretty clear that it was a Mac-focused event

However, with the iPad mini's battery appearing on the Chinese regulator's list along with its eventual appearance, fans of the little tablet were hoping for a "one more thing" style reveal that never came

With Apple's (forced) decision to drop the Lightning cable in favor of USB-C in the iPhone 15, it seemed likely that the 24-inch M3 iMac would appear with USB-C accessories In fact, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman predicted it

It never materialized Instead, the new Mac accessories will come with the same Lightning port as before

This is surprising, but there is a very real time limit on this The European Union has mandated USB-C as the standard connector, so that all new products will require this port by the end of 2024 Yes, Apple can keep Lightning outside of Europe The reason is that it does not make economic sense to have different ports on the same device

Many people thought that Apple would use the move to USB-C as an opportunity to scrap its most puzzling design decision to date, which was to put the Lightning port on the bottom of the Magic Mouse

As users have frequently pointed out, this arrangement may look cleaner, but it is impractical because it means that the mouse cannot be used while charging

The fact that the USB-C Magic Mouse is not refreshed means that the port will continue to live in its current position If this is disappointing, be sure to read our list of the best mice to find a high-quality replacement mouse for your Mac