What to expect from Apple’s ‘Peek Performance’ March event

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On Tuesday, March 8th at 1PM, Apple will host its first live event of the year. The company sent out press invitation emails for the event, with rumors suggesting Apple will announce a new third-generation iPhone SE with 5G.

At the event, the iPad Air might get a new spec update, with improvements to both 5G and an A15 Bionic processor, similar to last year's iPad Mini. There is a rumor that an upgrade to the MacBook Air is coming. New Macs, including a Mac Mini with an M1 Pro / M1 Max processor update, could also get a showing, and new iMac and Mac Pro hardware are said to be in the works, but those will likely show up later in the year. We might see one of these new Macs on March 8th.

If you want to be prepared for the Apple event, read about all the rumors and details below.

Photo by Vjeran Pavic / The Verge

iPhone SE 3 with 5G

The 2020 model of the iPhone is expected to be replaced by the upcoming third-generation SE model. The first iPhone SE came out in 2016 and remained available for four years, which means the SE line is set for a quicker change of pace.

The latest A15 Bionic chip, 5G with millimeter wave, 64GB base storage with 128GB options, and retain the design and colors of the current model are likely to be included in the iPhone SE 3. It has remained quiet until now, but Kuo shared the info on a verified account.

Some predictions for the coming new iPhone SE:
1. Mass production in Mar'22.
2. Estimated shipments of 25-30 mn units in 2022.
3. Storage: 64/128/256GB.
4. A15 & 5G support (mmW & Sub-6 GHz).
5. Casing: white, black, and red.
6. Similar form factor design to current SE.

— 郭明錤 (Ming-Chi Kuo) (@mingchikuo) March 4, 2022

The battery life of the 2020 iPhone SE was not the star of the show. If the form factor remains the same, the battery life in a new iPhone SE would be a bigger concern now that US carriers only want phones with 5G on their shelves. The design language of the current iPhone SE body is older than that of the iPhone 8.

It is1-65561-65561-65561-65561-65561-65561-65561-65561-65561-65561-65561-65561-65561-65561-65561-65561-65561-65561-65561-65561-65561-65561-65561-65561-65561-65561-65561-65561-65561-65561-65561-65561-65561-65561-65561-65561-65561-65561-65561-65561-65561-65561-65561-65561-65561-65561-65561-65561-65561-65561-65561-65561-65561-65561-65561-6556 Reports of less than expected sales of the iPhone 12 Mini have led to speculation that the iPhone 13 Mini might be Apple's last compact mainline phone. The Mini might become the new home for the iPhone SE, just as it became the new home for the 5s and 8s.

There is no word on price yet, but don't expect to see a reduction to the starting price. If the price is to remain the same, a starting storage option of 64GB makes sense. Touch ID would keep costs down if the design stays.

Photo by Vjeran Pavic / The Verge

A breath of fresh iPad Air

The iPad Air received an iPad Pro-style redesign in 2020 that included a new Touch ID sleep/ wake button and Apple Pencil 2 support. The iPad Mini was one-upped by the latest A15 Bionic processor and 5G data options, but still lags behind the iPad Air in terms of design.

It makes sense for Apple to release an updated iPad Air with the latest A15 Bionic processor and a 5G option, and perhaps center stage as well. Don't expect any other changes.

Photo by Vjeran Pavic / The Verge

MacBook Air redesigned and with a new M2 Processor

There is a chance that Apple will announce a new MacBook Air with a new M2 chip. The current design of the MacBook Air was a testbed for the Apple M1 chip in 2020.

The current MacBook Air with M1 was one of the best laptops you could buy in 2020, but a score that was cut short because of the less-than-stellar webcam.

We have updated MacBook Pro designs with better screens and a better camera, and you can expect the MacBook Air to follow soon. It could even come with a notch.

Max out on M1 Mac desktops

A new Mac Mini was rumored to come late last year, but it never showed up. The only way to get the latest M1 Pro and M1 Max chips is in the latest MacBook Pro models. A new Mac Mini with the latest processor options would change that.

The Mac Mini was designed in 2010 to be large enough to fit an optical drive. If we don't get a new Mac Mini, we will at least get a gray finish again. Mac Mini could be split into a pro option and a standard option with a new M2 processor.

There is only one iMac option with M1 processors that has a 24 inch screen. We might see larger iMacs later in the year if we don't see new larger iMacs on Tuesday. The iMac Pro was discontinued a year ago, so that would make for an interesting surprise, though there haven't been any supply chain leaks that would indicate a new version is imminent. Don't hold your breath for the Mac Pro that doesn't have an M1 option yet.

Apple TV plus getting more shows and movies

The last time Apple held an event in March was in 2019. It is possible that Apple could show new shows or movies like it did last September.

One more thing?

There is speculation that the meaning of the event invite title is related to the name of a virtual and augmented reality product. While Apple's long-rumored headset product is not expected to be ready until 2023, there is a chance that Apple can surprise and delight, just don't expect to see an Apple Car anytime soon.

Apple is expected to release a software update that will allow Face ID-enabled phones to be unlocked while wearing a mask, as well as a Monterey plus iPad OS 15.4 update that will finally enable the iPad to Mac traversing Universal Control feature.

The latest Apple news can be found here.