Apple sent an invitation to the media for the spring conference on Wednesday (March 2) Eastern Time, which will be held on March 8 (2 a.m. Beijing time on March 9), and it is widely expected that Apple will release new low-cost iPhone SE, iPad Air and other new products at the event.
The theme of the event is "Peek Performance", which will be broadcast live on YouTube and Apple's official website. Since the outbreak of the new crown epidemic in March 2020, Apple's launch has been online.
Greg Joswick, Apple's senior vice president of marketing, tweeted: "Peek Performance, March 8th, looking forward to your arrival. ”
The last apple conference was in October 2021, when Apple released a new MacBook Pro laptop. Last year, Apple held a spring conference in April, unveiling new high-end iPads and iMac computers.
According to media and analyst reports, Apple may release a new low-priced iPhone that supports 5G and fingerprint readers, as well as a mid-range iPad.
Apple currently offers a low-priced iPhone called the iPhone SE, launched in the spring of 2020 for $399. The "star" product of this conference may also be Apple's latest iPhone SE 3 that supports 5G networks.
According to reports, the new iPad to be released this time is expected to be an upgraded version of the iPad Air. The last update on the series of devices was in October 2020 and is currently priced at $599.
Apple may also release the latest version of the system, iOS 15.4, which is expected to include several new features, including the ability to use facial recognition to unlock devices while wearing a mask, and accepting contactless credit card payments without the need for additional hardware.
Compared with the traditional autumn launch, Apple's spring new product launch is generally not so important to the company. At the fall press conference held every year before the holiday shopping season, Apple generally announces higher-end iPhone models with higher prices and higher profits. Apple also holds the Apple Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) in June, and sometimes releases new hardware products at the developer conference.
As the most valuable company in the world, Apple has previously overcome supply chain problems and set sales records during the holiday season.
The following are the product descriptions that may be released at this conference:
New low-priced iPhone SE 3
According to reports, the iPhone SE 3 follows the iPhone 8 series in appearance, using a 4.7-inch LCD screen, retaining the Home button on the front, and supporting Touch ID. In terms of core configuration, the machine will be equipped with Apple's new generation of A15 bionic chips to support 5G, supplemented by more than 128GB of storage space. In addition, the machine will be rear of a 12-megapixel camera, supporting night mode, smart HDR and so on. It is worth noting that the iPhone SE 3 considers the higher power consumption of 5G, and Apple may be equipped with a larger capacity battery.
It is reported that in order to compete for low-end users of Android, the pricing of the new iPhone SE is lower than that of the previous generation, which may drop to $299 (or nearly 1999 yuan).
iPad Air 5
It has been two years since the launch of the previous generation of iPad Air, so the public is full of expectations for this year's iPad Air. It is rumored that at this spring conference, the fifth generation of iPad Air will be released. At present, according to online news, the fifth-generation iPad Air will be basically the same as the released iPad mini 6 in terms of hardware configuration, which will be equipped with an A15 processor, a 12-megapixel ultra-wide-angle front camera with character centering function, and support 5G networks. The appearance also adopts the same design as the previous generation, using a 10.9-inch display. In terms of price, the starting price of the fifth-generation iPad Air exposure is $599 (or nearly 3800 yuan).
AirPods Pro
Like the iPad Air, the AirPods Pro may also usher in an update. As a product that has not been updated for more than two years, it is also reasonable to launch it at the spring conference. In terms of appearance, there are currently two speculations, one is the same as the previous generation design, and there is also news that the short handle is removed on the new AirPods Pro, similar to the design of Beats Studio Buds to make the AirPods Pro layout more refined. In terms of hardware, the new AirPods may add new motion sensors to bring exercise tracking capabilities for fitness. In terms of sound quality, it will support lossless audio with lossless audio sources on Apple Music.
(Sci-Tech Innovation Board Daily)