Though September is Apple’s big release month, where the company shows off new iPhones and Apple Watches, this March looks set to be an important month in the company’s release schedule.
Here are five things we expect to see…
iPhone 9
Expected to be called the iPhone 9 (the number Apple skipped when it jumped to “X” in 2017), the device is already under trial production, with mass-scale production to follow in the next few weeks.
Sporting a similar design to the iPhone 8, the iPhone 9 will sell for $399 in the United States, designed to compete against other low-cost smartphones like the Google Pixel 3A.
According to Mac Otakara, the new smartphone will come in at 4.7-inches with a single-lens camera, thick bezels, a Touch ID home button, alongside supercharged specs like 3GB of RAM and Apple’s new A13 chip, meaning it will be capable of powering the latest games from Apple Arcade. It’s likely the new budget phone will be sold in 64GB and 128GB storage options, and insiders suggest that it will launch in silver, space gray, and PRODUCT(RED).
A report from My Drivers suggests Apple expects to shift more than 30 million units around the adding it will do particularly well in price-sensitive markets such as India and China.
AirTags
Apple has been (not so secretly) working on a Tile tracker competitor for several months, after first leaking them in iOS 13 beta code.
The miniature Bluetooth device is designed to be attached to items such as keys and wallets to be tracked, allowing users to monitor their item’s locations using their iOS devices.
As first discovered by MacRumors, Apple has already trademarked the AirTag name, and made references to it alongside leaking Tile-like assets in iOS 13.2 code.
MacBook Pro and Air
The MacBook family is also rumored to be given some love, according to well-known Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo.
Last updated in December with the launch of a new 16-inch MacBook Pro with scissor-switch keyboard, the 13-inch MacBook Pro and MacBook Air ranges could be given improved keyboards, spec bumps and refreshed designs with smaller bezel sizes.
iPad Pro
Apple could also use its spring event to show off a refreshed iPad Pro, a device that hasn’t been updated since October 2018.
Expected to arrive in March, the device will come with an A13X processor to offer improved power efficiency, as well as a new triple-lens camera with time-of-flight technology, the removal of the 64GB storage option, and perhaps some subtle design changes. It’s expected the new iPad Pro model will start at $799 in the United States.
Apple-branded headphones
Rumors of Apple over-ear headphones have been circling for a while, with insiders reporting that the Cupertino company is on the verge of launching studio-quality cans.
A report from 9to5Mac suggests that Apple will launch its Apple-branded wireless headphones in Spring, to sit alongside the AirPods and AirPods Pro. It’s expected that these headphones would compete with the likes of Bose, Sennheiser, and Sony, offering superior sound quality with a premium price tag.