Apple had a blast in terms of the number of events it held to announce its products including iOS 14, the Apple Watch Series 6, the iPad Air 4, the iPhone 12 lineup, and the M1 Macs. This year, the first Apple event of the year will be held on March 23, according to multiple leakers.
Initially, prolific leaker Kang (via DuanRui), stated that Apple will hold an event on March 23, which will apparently clash with the OnePlus 9 launch event that is slated for the same date. A while later, hit-or-miss leaker Jon Prosser corroborated the date by posting a tweet that said “23.”
23rd March falls on a Tuesday, which is the day of the week Apple seems to have an affinity for when it comes to hosting events. However, the difference here is that Apple’s past behavior suggests the company does not prefer to hold events on the same day as other similar announcements. In this case, it’s the One Plus 9 that’s set to be launched that day.
Regardless of the date, Apple is expected to conduct an online-only event similar to last year’s events considering the fact that the health crisis still prevails. Viewers should be able to watch the keynote online on Apple’s website or via the YouTube live stream that Apple sets up for the event. Last year’s events were quite enjoyable and were a perfect way to announce a product in a pandemic that requires social distancing to be followed. It’s expected of Apple to rouse a similar level of enthusiasm with its online-only events this year.
It’s unclear what Apple has decided to announce at the event. However, a safe bet would be a new iPad Pro, AirTags, and new AirPods as these devices have been extensively leaked so far.
As for the AirTags, Apple has already implemented and surfaced the Items tab within the Find My app on the latest iOS 14.5 Beta. It’s poised to help users find their lost items (which are compatible with Apple’s Find My framework) by tracking them within the Find My apps. While this means AirTags could be ready for launch, the Find My Items feature is also apparently applicable to third-party accessories.
The iPad Pro is expected to feature a new Mini-LED display alongside an upgraded A14X processor based on the processor included in the iPhone 12 lineup. Apart from that, rumors of other features pertaining to this year’s iPad Pro haven’t surfaced so far. Nevertheless, the Mini-LED screen, by itself, will be a major improvement bringing in better contrast and improved color accuracy.
As for the AirPods, it’s unclear if Apple will announce them at the supposed March 23 event. The new 3rd Generation AirPods are expected to have a similar design as that of the AirPods Pro and will gain silicone ear tips minus all of the premium features that AirPods Pro offers.
It’s worth noting that Apple has a history of revealing products during March via a press release, as was the case with last year’s iPad Pro which was announced via a press release.
Stay tuned to The 8-Bit for the latest coverage on Apple’s events and new product releases.
