March is officially here, meaning we might not have to wait long until Apple announces its fresh array of products during a forecasted spring Apple event. Earlier last month, reputable Apple tipster Mark Gurman claimed that Apple is reportedly planning to host its next event on March 8, which falls on next Tuesday.
If the above proves accurate, invites for the event could be sent out as soon as today, as reported by MacRumors, since the company tends to do so a week before the big day. And judging by past events, we can assume that the invitations could arrive around 9 a.m. PST/12 p.m. EST/5 p.m. GMT.
Although last year Apple decided to hold its Spring event in April, it doesn't necessarily mean that this year could follow the same pattern. After all, Cupertino seemed to have always opted for March for its previous spring events. Apple also tends to reserve its major events for Tuesdays, so if history is any indication, Gurman's forecast for March 8 seems likely.
This would be Apple's first event since the company unveiled its latest 14-inch MacBook Pro and 16-inch MacBook Pro models, the AirPods 3 and more last year on October 18. This time, we might see a handful of exciting announcements, so let's break it all down.
Apple Spring event: What we expect
We expect that the rumored iPhone SE 3 will be the star of the show. Recent rumors and leaks hint that Apple's next budget-friendly smartphone will pack 5G connectivity and the same A15 Bionic chip found in the iPhone 13 lineup. Another report from an analyst also hinted that the price could be set as low as $300, which would be a big shock given the current model costs $400. Mark Gurman has also suggested that Apple could drop the existing price for the iPhone SE 2020 to $199, which seems more likely.
Another possible product launch at the Apple Spring event is the high-end Mac mini. This would correspond with recent reports coming from two reputable Apple tipsters Mark Gurman and Ross Young. Gurman had previously mentioned that he expects "at least one new Mac" announcement to be featured at Apple's Spring event, having also hinted that it could be either the new Mac mini or the 27-inch iMac Pro.
Meanwhile, Young recently said that the iMac Pro isn't expected to arrive until summer. So it's likely that the device in question could be the new high-end Mac mini. Previous rumors suggest that the device could be powered by one of the newer Apple silicon chips (likely the M1 Pro and M1 Max seen in the latest MacBook Pro models).
Earlier in February, we also reported on three Macs being listed in Eurasian Economic Database filings. The regulatory documents describe two of the devices as personal computers, while the third Mac device is said to be a portable computing device (hinting that it could be a new MacBook). So we have reason to believe that the upcoming Spring event could also unveil the cheaper MacBook Pro 2022. The timeframe of the event would correspond to a recent report from DigiTimes that claimed that a new entry-level MacBook could arrive in March.
There's also scope for the event to feature other product announcements, including the AirPods Pro 2, new MacBook Air, iPad Air 5 and the new iPad Pro 2022. However, the iPhone SE, Mac mini and the MacBook Pro reveals seem more likely to happen this month. Stay tuned for more details and for our live coverage of the Apple spring event.
