Apple News: Upcoming New Products, Rumors and More

Upcoming: New Products We’re Expecting from Apple this Spring Apple’s main events are in June and September, but there has been a trend of the company making announcements in March. In addition to refreshes on some of its less prominent devices, the spring is sometimes a venue for wildcard releases: last year’s Product(RED) versions of […]

Upcoming: New Products We’re Expecting from Apple this Spring

Apple’s main events are in June and September, but there has been a trend of the company making announcements in March. In addition to refreshes on some of its less prominent devices, the spring is sometimes a venue for wildcard releases: last year’s Product(RED) versions of the iPhone 7 and 7 Plus, or the release of its video-editing software Clips.

This year, in addition to the rumors of new Apple products, consumers are awaiting more news on devices that Apple has already discussed. So, then, here is a rundown of a few products that we could hear about in March.

The non-Pro iPad

Last year towards the end of March, Apple rolled out a new iPad, positioning it as a lower-cost device for those who didn’t need the power of an iPad Pro. Just a year later, Apple may not need to revise that model. Its A9 chip is still pretty respectable, and with 32GB and 128GB configurations, it avoids cutting too much into the iPad Pro’s market.

On the other hand, there’s been a little rumbling about the iPad mini. The current model, the iPad mini 4, came out in September 2015 and uses the same A8 chip that’s embedded in the HomePod and the Apple TV. If Apple’s serious about keeping the iPad mini around, it seems like this might be a good opportunity for the company to bump up its specs.

AirPower and wireless-charging AirPods

Pre-announcing products is still not the norm for Apple, but in recent years, it has taken to planting a flag about some forthcoming devices. At its September 2017 event, Apple took the time to mention that it would launch sometime in 2018 its own wireless charging pad, dubbed AirPower. A case for the AirPods that supports wireless charging is likely appearing around the same time.

These may not be the most exciting of products, and it’s possible we’ve learned most of what there is to know about them aside from the prices, but they are laying the groundwork for a future where wireless charging is not only more widespread, but also starts to become an expected standard.

iPhone SE update

The iPhone’s cheapest model—the iPhone SE—debuted in March 2016. Since then, it’s been an object of intense discussion: is this a device that Apple plans of revamping regularly? Or is it merely a one-off to keep a low cost?

Rumors of a new version of the iPhone SE have been around for a while, but they’ve gathered steam this year. Again, it seems unlikely that Apple would bring any of the high-end features of its newest iPhones—Face ID, wireless charging, Portrait mode—to the SE.