Apple March event: what we know for 2021

Could there be an Apple event in March this year? There is growing evidence that new products are on the way, ranging from the new AirPods to the new iPad Pro and more. The event would almost certainly be virtual due to the ongoing pandemic, but there are plenty of precedents for a March event – that being said, a date has almost certainly been ruled out.

March 16 event?

Over the past week, March 16 has gained traction on social media as a potential date for an Apple event. Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, however, tweeted that Apple will not be holding an event on March 16 – and AirTags will not be announced on that day.

Notably, Gurman’s tweet doesn’t rule out the possibility of an Apple event in March, nor the possibility of announcements in March. He simply said that Apple would not be hosting an event specifically on March 16.

Apple Spring event history

It’s almost guaranteed that some Apple events will take place every year, including WWDC in June and the annual event on the iPhone in the fall. In most years, it’s also reasonable to expect a Mac-focused second fall event. Last year, for example, we ran three Apple events in three months: iPad and Apple Watch in September, iPhone 12 in October, and Apple Silicon Mac in November.

Spring events are more difficult to predict. Apple hasn’t hosted a spring event in 2020 due to the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, but it did announce a new iPad Pro, Magic Keyboard, and MacBook Air via press releases in March, followed by the Second-generation iPhone SE via a press release in April.

In 2019, Apple hosted a Spring Event purely dedicated to its Services segment, with details on Apple News +, Apple Card, Apple TV + and Apple Arcade. In March 2018, Apple invited everyone to Chicago, where it announced a new education-focused iPad.

If Apple were to host a March event in 2021, we would expect it to be virtual due to the continuing COVID-19 pandemic. There is an argument to be made that virtual events are easier for Apple to organize than in-person events, which gives more credit to the possibility of a virtual event this spring.

Here are some potential candidates for an Apple Spring Event, should it come to fruition.

New iPad Pro and iPad mini

One of the main rumors is that Apple will launch a new iPad Pro with mini-LED display technology in the first quarter of 2021. The mini-LED backlight is expected to appear first on the 12.9-inch iPad Pro, eventually followed by the 11-inch iPad Pro.

The iPad Pro 2021 lineup is expected to be virtually identical to the 2020 model in terms of design. The biggest change, therefore, will probably be the change in display technology, plus a new chip likely based on the A14 inside for even better performance.

Apple is also reportedly working on a new iPad mini that will be released in March. The new iPad mini would have an 8.4-inch screen with smaller bezels. It unfortunately won’t feature a similar design redesign as the iPad Air 4 and iPad Pro, with Apple instead keeping the top and bottom bezels, home button, and Touch ID.

Apple last updated the iPad mini in 2019, bringing a faster A12 Bionic processor along with other improvements.

Finally, Apple has also reportedly developed a new, low-cost iPad, but we don’t expect it to be released until later this year.

iPhone SE 3

Macotakara announced that Apple will also release a new third-generation iPhone SE in April. The details here aren’t clear, but an April release would come exactly one year after the 4.7-inch iPhone SE was released in 2020.

Rumors suggest that Apple is working on a larger version of the iPhone SE, likely with a 5.5-inch display and a design similar to the iPhone 8 Plus. It remains to be seen whether or not this will materialize in March 2021.

AirPods 3 and AirPods Pro 2

Following the introduction of the AirPods Max in December, Apple is said to have ongoing updates for the rest of its AirPods lineup in 2021.

New second-generation AirPods Pro are rumored to be on the way as early as April. The AirPods Pro 2 could feature a “more compact” design that removes the rod that currently protrudes from the bottom of the AirPods Pro.

Bloomberg however cautioned that such design changes are not guaranteed. Apple should have faced challenges removing the AirPods Pro rod while continuing to include features like transparency mode, the H1 chip, and noise cancellations.

Apple is rumored to be developing new entry-level AirPods with a shorter stem and replaceable ear tips. These would replace the standard AirPods that Apple sells today. The pricing information is unclear, but at least one report has suggested the AirPods 3 will cost around 20% less than the AirPods Pro, indicating a price tag of $ 199.

Reports of a new Apple TV have been circulating for some time now as the current lineup really begins to show its age compared to competing streaming devices. Recent reports suggest that a new Apple TV is still on track for some time in 2021, but the details are unclear.

Likewise, AirTags have been the subject of rumors for two years at this point. Apple’s item tracking accessories are still expected to release this year. Whether or not the new AirTags or Apple TV will materialize this spring remains to be seen, but Jon Prosser recently tweeted that the accessory is on schedule for March.

Apple Silicon transition continues

Apple has acknowledged that it will take around two years to transition the entire Mac lineup to Apple Silicon chips. As such, we anticipate that new Apple Silicon Macs will be announced throughout 2021.

That being said, we don’t expect the new Apple Silicon Mac hardware to hit the market in spring 2021. Rumors currently indicate that we can expect a new line of iMacs, as well as new MacBook Pros 14. inches and 16 inches. year, but they will probably come in the second half of the year.

Apple Spring event recap

It remains to be seen whether or not Apple is hosting an event in March this year. Again, if such an event does come to fruition, we would expect it to be completely virtual due to the COVID-19 pandemic. While there are enough new products to fill a 60-minute event, Apple has proven perfectly okay to announce new material via press releases.

What do you think? Will Apple have an event in March this year to announce its new iPad hardware, new AirPods and more? Let us know in the comments!

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