UPDATED 20:45 EDT / MARCH 10 2016

NEWS

It’s official: Apple to hold event March 21, expect to see new iPhone SE and iPad Pro

It’s official: Apple has sent out invites for a new launch event to be held March 21st at its campus in Cupertino, California.

The invite doesn’t give any details away as to what is being launched, saying only rather obscurely “let us loop you in” (perhaps in reference to Apple’s address of 1 Infinite Loop) but it’s widely expected that the event will see the release of a new iPhone, the iPhone SE, and a new 9.7 inch iPad Pro.

The iPhone SE (presuming that’s the final name) will see the return of a 4 inch screen for the first time since the iPhone 5c, and will include an A9 chip manufactured by both TSMC and Samsung, 2.5D cover glass with curved edges like on the iPhone 6s, NFC for Apple Pay and metal casing; there’s no consensus on what the camera will be with some saying it will ship with an 8-MP rear-facing camera while others are saying it will be a 12-MP one.

Other details for the new 4 inch iPhone include it shipping with 16GB and 64GB storage options, 802.11ac Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.2, Live Photos support, and a slightly larger 1,642 mAh battery compared to the iPhone 5s.

Of note, it’s believed the phone will not include 3D Touch.

iPad/ Apple Watch

Early reports for the event stated that Apple would likely be announcing a new iPad Air 3, however it is now believed that Apple is instead expanding its iPad Pro line with a new 9.7 inch iPad Pro; previously Apple only offered a standard iPad at this size while the existing iPad Pro comes in at 12.9 inches.

It’s believed that the new 9.7 inch iPad Pro will ship with identical features and specifications as the bigger model, including the A9X processor and RAM upgrades, and will also include updated display technology to support the Apple Pencil.

The last product believed to be on the agenda for the event is something Apple Watch related, although of the three being launched this is the one we know the least about in terms of leaks.

A report early February claimed that Apple will be launching new bands for Watch, however previous reports have suggested that Apple could be using the event to launch the Apple Watch 2, which would include a FaceTime camera to enable video calls from the wrist, an improved Wi-Fi module to make the Watch less dependent on a connected iPhone, additional sensors to track sleep and health patterns, as well as new models.

The event starts at 10 a.m. Pacific Standard Time on March 21; it’s not clear at this stage whether it will be live streamed online but it would be surprising if it wasn’t.

Image credit: janitors/Flickr/CC by 2.0

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