Visualizing Apple Product Release Patterns (2019 Update)

Cool Infographics: Charts and graphs can communicate data; infographics turn data into information.

After Apple’s WWDC (Worldwide Developer’s Conference) Keynote presentation in June 2019, I updated my series of infographics, Visualizing Apple Product Release Patterns to catch up on all of the latest releases in 2019. You can see them all on the InfoNewt site, and that’s where I continue to maintain them and post updates as Apple releases new products and updates.

This year I further broke apart all of the individual product lines so you can see their separate release patterns, or lack of any discernible pattern. Some product lines, like the iPhone Release Pattern (ABOVE), have clearly defined release patterns that can be used to predict future product announcement and releases. In this smaller graphic (BELOW), I only show the iPhone release dates in September every year since 2012 to predict the 2019 iPhone announcement and release dates based on their history:

Apple iPad

The Apple iPad Release Pattern doesn’t follow the same timing as the iPhone. The iPad has its own lifecycle and separate release events. It hasn’t been included in the major September iPhone events for the last few years, and has been consistently receiving updates in March for the last four years.

MacBook Pro

Other product lines, like the MacBook Pro Release Pattern, show no obvious pattern. Apple doesn’t release new MacBook Pro updates on a regular schedule. Instead, it’s based on the release of new processors from Intel and the timing of when other new technology is available, like the new keyboard designs and the Touch Bar.

Apple Watch

The Apple Watch follows the iPhone pattern of September announcements:

Apple TV

Apple TV updates have been fairly scattered throughout the year, but the last two have been in September with the iPhone announcements:

MacBook Air

The MacBook Air Release Pattern seems to be one of opportunity. A combination of when updates are ready and included in one of Apple’s other larger events throughout the year.

Apple iMac

The iMac Release Pattern shows a two-year gap between the last couple of updates

Apple Mac Pro

The Apple Mac Pro Release Pattern shows the huge, multi-year gaps between updates. The last three Mac Pro announcements have all happened during WWDC Keynote presentations.

Apple Mac Mini

The Apple Mac Mini Release Pattern also shows multi-year gaps between updates.

Apple Total Combined Release Patterns

It looks fairly chaotic in total, but the Apple Combined Released Patterns shows all of the product lines together in one timeline. Although the individual patterns are hard to identify, in aggregate you can see that Apple generally avoids any product launches during Jan-Feb and Nov-Dec.

I designed the original Apple Release Patterns in 2013, and have continued to update them ever since as Apple releases new products and updates. I like this visual layout of each calendar year as a column with the days of each month correctly organized so you can discern the days of the week.