At the first conference in 2022, Apple may launch a new iPhone SE and iPad. Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman pointed out in the latest article that Apple plans to hold a special spring event in March/April this year, and is expected to see the new iPhone SE and new iPad products.
In the article, Gurman said that this year Apple will still follow the pattern — releasing new products at intervals every year. In the spring, it updates its lesser or complementary offerings. In the summer, it releases new software and holds developer conferences. Apple then saves major new hardware for a fall release.
There are two main reasons behind this strategy:
For one, Apple’s software roadmap needs to be worked out before the hardware is ready to roll out. Customers and developers can preview the software in the summer and then see it in action when the hardware products appear in the fall.
Another reason is more money. By saving major new iPhones, Apple Watches and Mac computers until later in the year, Apple set itself up for a strong holiday quarter. The April 2021 event welcomed the M1 iPad Pro, AirTags, the latest Apple TV and the redesigned M1 iMac. So, how’s it going this year?
iPhone SE
You’ll see a new iPhone SE, which will likely have a similar design to the current model, but with a faster processor and 5G support.
iPad
Given that the iPad Air hasn’t been updated since late 2020, Gurman thinks a new version of the product is also possible. The device will be powered by the iPhone 13’s A15 chip, which matches last year’s iPad mini. It’s been almost a year since the iPad Pro was last updated, but Gurman doesn’t expect the iPad Pro to be launched this spring.
But in any case, the above two iPads will have major upgrades in terms of chips and cameras. The new iPad Pro may have an updated design with an M2 chip and wireless charging. The 2018 iPad Pro — the last time the company revamped the device — comes a year and a half after the previous model. With more big changes coming this year, Gurman expects the new iPads to come later than the spring special.
Earlier this week, Russian regulators released documents showing three new iPhones and nine new iPads. The iPhone files may relate to various iterations of the SE, but 9 new models are too much for a new iPad Air. Either there are more iPad Airs, or Apple submitted plans for this fall very early. We will wait and see.
Mac
What else will there be in the spring special? Gurman believes Apple hopes to bring the M1 Pro chip to another Mac in the first half of this year. That could mean a higher-end Mac mini or iMac. But given Apple’s typical strategy, Gurman guesses the revamped MacBook Air and Mac Pro won’t arrive until later this year.
Autumn special events
Apple is preparing the most extensive new hardware offering in its history for this fall. This makes sense. These include four new iPhones, a low-end MacBook Pro, an updated iMac, new Mac Pros, a revamped MacBook Air, an updated AirPods Pro, three Apple Watches, a low-end iPad and iPad Pro.