Will Apple unveil a 5G iPhone SE tomorrow? Tech giant is hosting a 'Peek Performance' event where it could reveal a budget smartphone alongside an updated iPad Air
Apple could unveil an iPhone SE with 5G and a new iPad Air at its unveiling event tomorrow (March 8), according to experts.
The new iPhone SE will include a faster processor and improved cameras, as well as 5G support, according to a trusted Apple leaker. Apple has already sent out press invitation emails for the event, which has the tagline 'Peek Performance'.
An online flyer for Peek Performance features a high stylized, colourful Apple logo on a stark black background.
The tech giant has already sent out press invitation emails for the event, which has the tagline 'Peek Performance' and kicks off at 6pm GMT
The new iPhone SE will include a faster processor and improved cameras, as well as 5G support, according to a trusted Apple leaker. Pictured, the second-gen iPhone SE
Gurman claims that the event's tagline Peek Performance 'clearly indicates some speed increases for Apple devices'.
'That would cover 5G and faster main processors on the new iPhone, iPad and Mac,' he says.
However, if this is the case a more appropriate spelling would be 'peak' rather than 'peek'.
'Peek' suggests the event could provide a first glimpse of an Apple product that's long been in the works – Apple's augmented reality headset, perhaps. Apple is yet to offer comment in response to a request from MailOnline.
Peek Performance, which won't have an in-person audience, will be live-streamed on YouTube from 18:00 GMT (10:00 PDT) at Apple Park, Cupertino, California. Until then, here's a rundown of the products likely to make an appearance.
iPHONE SE 3
Apple will allegedly be bringing 5G to its iPhone SE line for the first time tomorrow.
Gurman said the third-gen iPhone SE 'will be the first update to the SE since 2020 and could help push more iPhones into emerging markets'.
There hasn't been any mention as to how Apple might deal with the increased battery drain associated with 5G, considering the SE has a smaller battery by today's standards.
No price details for iPhone SE 3 have yet been mooted, although it's worth bearing in mind that the iPhone SE2 (pictured) was released starting at £419 ($399)
In a tweet, Kuo also said it will come with 64/128/256GB storage and be available in white, black and red.
SE is the name for Apple's lower-price products – not just for smartwatches but iPhones too.
In 2020, Apple released iPhone SE 2, four years after the original iPhone SE – or iPhone Special Edition – was released in 2016.
The series is intended as a smaller, cheaper, pocket-friendly device for customers who weren’t adjusting to the bigger display sizes of the later iPhones.
No price details for iPhone SE 3 have yet been mooted, although it's worth bearing in mind that the iPhone SE2 was released starting at £419 ($399).
iPAD AIR
Another of the rumours for tomorrow is that the iPad Air will get an update, also with a faster processor and 5G capabilities.
The new fifth-generation iPad Air that would be on par with last year’s iPad mini, according to Gurman.
'That means it will retain its same design from 2020 but add optional 5G support, the A15 chip and Center Stage for the FaceTime camera,' he says. No mention has been made of any changes to the tablet's design, but as it had a major revamp with the iPad Air 4's unveiling in 2020, the device may not look too dissimilar to its predecessor.
Price-wise, the iPad Air 4 costs £579 ($599 in the US) for a model with 64GB of storage, with prices going up for more storage, so the iPad Air 5 is likely to cost in the same region.
MACS
Gurman also experts to see 'at least one new Mac' announced with Apple silicon, the firm's own series of in-house chips.
It's possible Apple's M2 Apple silicon chip will debut first in a new MacBook Air and refreshed 13-inch MacBook Pro.
Gurman says: 'In all, we should see a new Mac mini (this one is ready to go, I’m told), 13-inch MacBook Pros and iMacs – perhaps as soon as the first half of the year.'
In November, Apple revealed its first lineup of Mac computers - MacBook Air, MacBook Pro and Mac Mini - to feature its in-house-designed M1 computer chip. Pictured, Mac Mini
Kuo also said he anticipates a new and 'more powerful' model in Apple's Mac Mini desktop line.
The last Mac Mini was revealed as part of Apple's first lineup of Mac computers powered by M1, revealed back in November 2020.
'WILD CARD'
Lastly, Gurman said a fourth 'wild card' unveiling is possible, which could be a next-generation monitor, an iMac Pro, or a new, smaller Mac Pro.
However, he doesn't think these will be released anytime soon; rather, they'll be the 'peek' that Apple has alluded to in the name of the event.
Gurman says: 'I don’t believe the new iMac Pro or Mac Pro are ready to go on sale imminently, but perhaps Apple wants to preview at least one of those machines ahead of a release a little later this year.'
Mark Gurman has made a name for himself with accurate Apple leaks for 9to5Mac and is now a journalist for Bloomberg.
Gurman thinks 2022 is also the year Apple will finally release its long-awaited augmented reality (AR) headset
Apple Track, a blog that keeps tabs on Apple rumours 'and the sources that publish them', currently gives Gurman an 85.5 per cent accuracy rating.
As Gurman points out, the tech giant has a lot to announce during 2022.
It’s gearing up to debut the iPhone 14, more Macs and three new Apple Watches, including a 'rugged' watch that's more durable and resistant to scratches.
Gurman thinks 2022 is also the year Apple will finally release its long-awaited augmented reality (AR) headset.
This corroborates predictions from Kuo, who said the AR headset with 'the same level of computing' as a Mac will arrive in the fourth quarter of 2022.
APPLE WILL FINALLY LAUNCH ITS AR HEADSET IN 2022, RESPECTED LEAKER CLAIMS
Apple could launch its augmented reality headset next year, a Hong Kong-based leaker claims.
The headset will be released in the fourth quarter of 2022 and contain two processors, one 'with the same computing power level as the Mac', said Ming-Chi Kuo in a research note as viewed by MacRumors.
This processor will be 'similar' to M1, Apple's own in-house-designed computer chip, currently used in its Macintosh computers and iPad Pro tablets.
A promo image released by the tech giant in March 2021 shows a memoji character with glasses and a reflection of the laptop in the lenses - possibly a reference to AR glasses
The second, lower-end processor, meanwhile, will manage the 'sensor-related aspects' of the headset. Computing power of this sensor will be 'significantly higher' than that of the iPhone, however.
Kuo also said the headset will be able to support virtual reality (VR) as well as AR, thanks to a pair of 4K Micro OLED displays from Sony.
AR layers computer-generated images on top of an existing reality РPok̩mon Go being a famous example Рwhile VR is wholly virtual.
Kuo, an analyst at TF International Securities in Hong Kong, is known for garnering information on Apple's plans from his contacts within the company's Asian supply chain.
However, Kuo predicted in June that the will launch in spring 2022, so it seems the timeframe has been pushed back – and could be pushed back again.
In October 2021, Kuo said Apple's upcoming headset will also be wireless and use Wi-Fi 6E, the newest version of Wi-Fi, allowing it faster speeds and a higher number of connections.
It's possible the Apple headset will still likely have to connect to an iPhone or Mac computer, but that a future iteration of the device may not.
According to another recent report from Digitimes, citing supply chain sources, the product will cost as much $2,000 (£1,500).
The upcoming headset would likely not be aimed at consumers, but instead be geared towards developers and business customers, this report alleged.
A more consumer focused AR product, known as Apple Glass, would be released until 2023 at the earliest and would look more like a conventional pair of spectacles, it added.
A 2019 report from The Information collaborates the suggestion that Apple is working on two AR/VR products.
Apple Glass would present a digital display on the lenses to complement surrounding environments, such as arrows to help consumers find their destination in cities.
Making Apple Glasses look more like normal glasses instead of a more chunky headset could make them more appealing to the consumer market.
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