The past 12 months has been an interesting one for Apple, with all of their major releases coming later in the calendar year. There was the overhaul of iOS debuting in beta during the summer, with Mavericks for Mac making its way to beta as well. However it wasn’t until the autumn months that anything really started to see release and customers could stop foaming at the mouth for new Apple products.

There were updates to Apple TV sprinkled throughout the year, which brought nice additions to the device deemed a “hobby”. Here’s to hoping 2014 sees an updated model with additions like FaceTime and an App Store.

There were rumors of an Apple iWatch, which continue to make waves on blogs and various mediums. However, nothing yet has been announced nor leaked in this regard. It has been stated that wearables are of interest to Apple, perhaps 2014 will bring something to the masses in this area…be it a watch or a band, or something completely different.

A mostly surprising release this past year was the Mac Pro, which to be honest most people had assumed was dying or dead. They revived it, pumped new blood into it, and gave professional users an interesting and compelling Mac that shows Apple can still innovate and provide pro tools for its professional users.

The big releases in 2013 of course came in the form of iOS devices. Specifically the iPhone and iPad. This past year they strayed somewhat and released 2 new iPhones. The iPhone 5s and iPhone 5c. No, they didn’t bring to market the “cheap” iPhone that pundits and analysts have been begging for, but instead did what Apple does, whatever they think is best. With the iPhone 5s Apple introduced a fingerprint reader (Touch ID) for allowing access to the device and for iTunes/App Store purchases, while the iPhone 5c brought with it a new shell, and a colorful lineup at a minor discount in comparison.

The iPad lineup changed as well. This time Apple made the choice between the full size iPad and the iPad mini very difficult for users. They introduced the new iPad Air, a full size tablet, as well as the iPad mini with Retina, their smaller version. Instead of having the mini feel like a second-class device they opted to keep the specs and internals almost identical to its big brother, leaving size of the device the real difference between the two. To make it even harder they shrunk down the full size iPad to bring it closer to the iPad mini, making it even harder to decide. These are clearly two devices cut from the same cloth now. Both are amazing devices for sure.

2013 was a year when many feel like Apple lost traction, they didn’t innovate enough, didn’t make a compelling case for their products over others, they didn’t announce any “new” products. While it’s true they didn’t release the “next” iPod, iPhone, or iPad…they did what Apple has been doing for a long time now, they iterated on their lineup. They added features, refreshed software, brought together better services, and pushed forward just enough to keep the everyday consumer happy, while keeping us nerds enthralled with what could be next.

2014 is here, and there is sure to be a lot written about what Apple HAS to do this year. There is sure to be a lot written about what they WILL do this year. There will be leaks. There will be fake leaks. There will be complaints. Praise. Stock fluctuations. There will be keynotes and lawsuits. This is how the world of Apple seems to go. Many of us will be watching and reading at every post, every turn.

Another thing is certain, there will be great product releases, that millions of people all over the world love and enjoy. Here’s to another year, here’s to 2014. I can’t wait to see what’s next.