Apple is set to hold its first livestream event of 2022 on March 8 at 8 p.m. The company has sent out email invites for the event, titled Peek Performance, with rumors strongly suggesting that Apple will announce a new third-generation iPhone SE with 5G.
The iPad Air could also get a new update at the event, including new 5G and A15 Bionic processors. An Apple Silicon M2 upgrade is also rumored, along with a redesigned MacBook Air. New Mac computers, including a more powerful Mac Mini or a less powerful Mac Pro with an updated M1 Pro or M1 Max processor, could be announced at the event, as well as a new display called the “Studio Display.” That’s not all Apple could announce on Tuesday, so read on if you want to get your expectations for the Peek Performance event set.
The new third-generation iPhone SE is initially expected to launch as the new budget-friendly iPhone option. The first iPhone SE was released in 2016 and remained available for four years, meaning the SE series is set to offer a more rapid change. According to trusted analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, the iPhone SE 3 will likely feature the latest A15 Bionic chip with 5G, with 64GB of storage with options of 128GB or 256GB, and will retain the design and colors of the current model.
The 2020 iPhone SE gained a lot of value thanks to its latest chip (for the time), but its battery life has never been better. Now that 5G is a must-have addition to all devices, the iPhone SE's battery life may be a bigger issue. The current iPhone SE's chassis is the model used in the iPhone 8, but its design language dates back to 2014 with the iPhone 6.
Additionally, it’s possible that the iPhone SE will borrow the design cues of the iPhone 13 Mini. With reports of lower-than-expected sales of the iPhone 12 Mini, it’s been rumored that the iPhone 13 Mini could be Apple. But just as the iPhone SE adopted the iPhone 5s design and the 2020 iPhone SE adopted the smaller iPhone 8 design, the iPhone SE could adopt the Mini’s design. As for the price, there’s no rumored drop in the starting price of $399, as 5G modems are still expensive. So, the starting storage option of 64GB isn’t unreasonable if the price stays the same.
The iPad Air received an iPad Pro-style redesign in 2020: it had flat edges, thin bezels, support for Apple Pencil 2, USB-C, and a new Touch ID button. The redesign, however, falls short when compared to the iPad Mini, which followed the iPad Air's design but was boosted with the latest A15 Bionic processor and 5G data options. So it makes sense for Apple to release an updated iPad Air with the latest A15 Bionic processor and a 5G option.
As if that weren't enough, Apple is likely to announce a new MacBook Air with the new M2 chip at the Peek Performance event. The current MacBook Air design dates back to 2018 and was a testing ground for the debut of the Apple M1 chip in 2020. The current MacBook Air was one of the best laptops you could buy in 2020, with the only downside being the camera. But, these days we have recently updated MacBook Pro designs with better displays and a better camera that you can expect to follow soon after the MacBook Air.
A new Mac Mini was rumored to be coming late last year, but it never showed up. Right now, the only way to take advantage of the power of the latest M1 Pro and M1 Max chips is through the latest MacBook Pro models. The appearance of a new Mac Mini with the latest processor options would overturn that.
According to 9to5Mac, Apple will announce a sort of Mac Mini/Mac Pro hybrid device on Tuesday called the “Mac Studio.” In January, Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman said that the mostly aluminum device could evoke nostalgia for the Power Mac G4 Cube, suggesting that the Mac Studio could look like a taller Mac Mini. The current Mac Mini design dates back to 2010, which was built to be just big enough to fit an optical drive. It’s about time we got a new Mac Mini design, but if that doesn’t happen, we can hope to at least get a gray finish like the Pro machines. We could even see the Mac Mini split into a Pro version and a standard version that will come with a new M2 processor.
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Currently, there is only one version of the iMac with M1 processors with only a 24-inch display option. If we don't see new larger iMacs on Tuesday, we may see them later in the year. The iMac Pro was also discontinued a year ago, so a larger iMac would be an interesting addition to the lineup, even if such a version is not rumored to be released yet. There is also the Mac Pro that does not yet have an M1 option, and although there have been leaks about its release, it probably will not be at Tuesday's Peek Performance event.
Additionally, rumors suggest that Apple will release a new 5K, 27-inch display to accompany its new Mac Studio desktop. The so-called “Studio Display” will be priced to appeal to consumers, unlike Apple’s very expensive Pro Studio XDR display that starts at $5,000 before adding the $1,000 stand. Interestingly, Bloomberg’s Gurman reports that it will run iOS, which means it could have an A-series chip inside. Apple’s previous offering of 27-inch displays sold for $999.
Apple exited the monitor business in 2016, much to the disappointment of many. The introduction of the Pro Studio XDR in 2019 was welcome news, but its price tag was well beyond most buyers' means. Hopefully, Apple will fix that on Tuesday with something that consumers can buy.
The last time Apple held an event in March was in 2019, a live presentation that showcased new Apple premium services like Apple TV Plus. Three years later, it's very likely that Apple will unveil new TV shows or movies like it did last September.
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Finally, there has been speculation about the name of Apple's Peek Performance event. Specifically, it is suggested that Peek is the name of a VR/AR product. While Apple's long-rumored headset product isn't expected to be ready until 2023, there may be a chance that Apple could surprise us. Apple is also expected to release a number of software updates: iOS 15.4 that can help your iPhone unlock while wearing a mask with Face ID, and also a macOS Monterey update plus iPad OS 15.4 that will finally enable iPad-to-Mac passthrough.
Source: theverge.com
