Could there be an Apple event in March this year? There is growing evidence that new products are on the way, from new AirPods to a new iPad Pro and more. The event would almost certainly be virtual because of the ongoing pandemic, but there are many precedents for a March event – that is, a date has almost certainly been dropped.
March 16th event?
Last week, March 16 gained momentum on social media as a potential date for an Apple event. Mark Gurman of Bloomberg, however, tweeted that Apple will not hold an event on March 16 – and that AirTags will not be announced that day.
Notably, Gurman’s tweet did not rule out the possibility of an Apple event in March, or the possibility of announcements in March. He simply stated that Apple will not hold an event specifically on March 16.
Apple Spring event history
Some Apple events are almost certain to happen every year, including the WWDC in June and the annual iPhone event in the fall. In most years, it is also reasonable to expect a second fall event focused on the Mac. Last year, for example, we had three Apple events in three months: iPad and Apple Watch in September, iPhone 12 in October and Apple Silicon Mac in November.
Spring events are more difficult to predict. Apple did not hold a spring event in 2020 due to the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, but announced a new iPad Pro, Magic Keyboard and MacBook Air via press releases in March, followed by the second generation iPhone SE via a statement. press release in April.
In 2019, Apple held a spring event exclusively dedicated to its Services segment, with details on Apple News +, Apple Card, Apple TV + and Apple Arcade. In March 2018, Apple invited everyone to Chicago, where it announced a new education-oriented iPad.
If Apple held a March 2021 event, we would expect it to be virtual due to the continuing COVID-19 pandemic. It can be argued that virtual events are easier to organize for Apple than face-to-face events, which gives more credit to the possibility of a virtual event this spring.
Here are some potential candidates for an Apple Spring Event, if one materializes.
New iPad Pro and iPad mini
One of the main rumors is that Apple will launch a new iPad Pro with mini-LED screen technology during the first quarter of 2021. The expectation is that the mini-LED backlight will reach the 12.9-inch iPad Pro first, eventually followed by the 11-inch iPad Pro.
The 2021 line of the iPad Pro should be virtually identical to the 2020 model in terms of design. So the biggest change is likely to be the change in screen technology, in addition to a new chip likely based on the internal A14 for even better performance.
Apple is also reportedly working on a new iPad mini that will launch in March. The new iPad mini features an 8.4-inch screen with smaller bezels. It will unfortunately not feature a design review similar to the iPad Air 4 and iPad Pro, with Apple maintaining the top and bottom bezels, home button and Touch ID.
Apple last updated the iPad mini in 2019, bringing a faster A12 Bionic processor, in addition to other improvements.
Finally, there are rumors that Apple is developing a new low-cost iPad, but we don’t expect it to be released by the end of this year.
iPhone SE 3
Macotakara reported that Apple will also launch a new third-generation iPhone SE in April. The details here are not entirely clear, but the April launch would come exactly a year after the 4.7-inch iPhone SE was launched in 2020.
Rumors suggest that Apple is working on a larger version of the iPhone SE, probably with a 5.5-inch screen and a design similar to the iPhone 8 Plus. Whether or not this will happen in March 2021 remains to be seen.
AirPods 3 and AirPods Pro 2
After the introduction of AirPods Max in December, Apple reportedly has updates on the way for the rest of its AirPods line in 2021.
It is rumored that the new second generation AirPods Pro will be on the way in April. AirPods Pro 2 may feature a “more compact” design that removes the rod that currently sits outside the bottom of AirPods Pro.
Bloomberg warned, however, that such design changes are not guaranteed. Apple is said to have faced challenges in removing the rod from the AirPods Pro while still including features such as transparency mode, the H1 chip and noise cancellation.
Apple is also developing new basic AirPods with a shorter stem and replaceable ear tips. They would serve as a replacement for the standard AirPods that Apple sells today. Pricing information is unclear, but at least one report has suggested that AirPods 3 will cost about 20% less than AirPods Pro, indicating a price range of $ 199.
Reports of a new Apple TV have been circulating for a while, as the current line is really starting to show its age compared to competing streaming devices. Recent reports have suggested that a new Apple TV is still in progress in 2021, but the details are unclear.
Similarly, AirTags have been rumored for two years. Apple’s item tracking accessories are yet to be released this year. Whether or not the new AirTags or Apple TV will materialize this spring is unknown, but Jon Prosser recently tweeted that the accessory is scheduled for March.
Apple Silicon’s transition continues
Apple acknowledged that it will take approximately two years to transition the entire Mac line to Apple Silicon chips. As such, we expect Apple’s new Silicon Macs to be announced throughout 2021.
That said, we currently don’t expect new Apple Silicon Mac hardware to be released during the spring of 2021. Currently, rumors indicate that we can expect a new line of iMac, as well as new 14- and 16-inch MacBook Pros. year, but will likely come in the second half of the year.
Conclusion of the Apple Spring event
Whether or not Apple will host an event in March of this year remains to be seen. Again, if such an event materializes, we expect it to be completely virtual because of the COVID-19 pandemic. While there are rumors of enough new products to fill a 60-minute event, Apple has proven that it is okay to announce new hardware through press releases as well.
What do you think? Will Apple hold an event in March this year to announce its new iPad hardware, new AirPods and more? Let us know in the comments!
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