Reports and leaks have been mounting for months, and now there’s a firm target ahead: Apple is expected to reveal its next iPhone and iPad releases on Tuesday, 15 March.
Both 9to5Mac and BuzzFeed News are reporting that, based on information from their sources, and both have been right about various Apple leaks in the past. The date matches up well with a report from last week, in which Apple was said to be considering an event sometime during the week of 14 March.
So what are these new devices? Well, the new iPhone is reportedly the iPhone 5se, also referred to as the iPhone 6c at times, which is slated to be Apple’s first new 4in phone since 2013. Recent reports from 9to5Mac have essentially pegged it as a mash-up of features from the last three core iPhone releases, with the A9/M9 processors from the iPhone 6s potentially at its heart.
According to those reports, the device will have the size of the iPhone 5s but the design of the iPhone 6, with the 8-megapixel back and 1.2MP front cameras of the iPhone 6, an NFC chip for Apple Pay, and the Bluetooth 4.2, VoLTE, and 802.11ac Wi-Fi chips of the iPhone 6s. Also, reportedly, it will support Live Photos, albeit without a 3D Touch display. 9to5Mac pegs the price at a surprising $450 (R7,400 – more here, with tax and other economic issues), effectively replacing the iPhone 5s in Apple’s lineup.
As for the tablet, it should be the long-awaited iPad Air 3, which may come with the added speaker grills and peripheral-supporting Smart Connector of the iPad Pro. Add in a back camera flash and it could be another relatively incremental update for the core, 8.9in iPad line – although 9to5Mac suggests a model with Apple Pencil support has also been tested.
Lastly, the event is expected to showcase some new Apple Watch options: new Sport Band colours, a Space Black Milanese Loop (which leaked a few weeks back), more Apple Watch Hermès bands, and possibly another band with a new type of material – potentially nylon, which 9to5Mac says Apple has tested.
Apple’s flagship iPhone 7 and Apple Watch 2 probably won’t be seen until September rolls around, but it sounds like the company isn’t going to sit out the first half of 2016: these purported devices should offer some fresh options for Apple fans. Stay tuned for more as mid-March approaches.
Source: 9to5Mac, Buzzfeed News
