APPLE has confirmed a “special event” on March 8 – and a new iPhone could be on the way.
The tech giant is hosting an event at its Apple Park HQ, and streaming the footage live to the world.
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It’s likely that we’ll see a number of gadgets announced.
Chiefly rumoured is a new iPhone SE – a bargain smartphone for buyers on a budget.
The event is due to take place at 10am California time – so 1pm in New York and 6pm in London.
Apple has named the event “Peek Performance”, which is fairly mysterious.
It could be a clue that upgraded MacBooks with more powerful chips are on the way.
In any case, Apple events in the spring aren’t unusual.
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And as has been the case with other recent Apple events, this one will also be virtual.
That means legions of press won’t be in attendance.
The tech giant is expected to unveil a new “cheap” iPhone, a revamped Mac and a souped-up iPad Air.
Apple hasn’t publicly confirmed any such release.
But the main event is tipped to be the new iPhone SE.
A leak earlier this year suggested that the new iPhone would enter production in January.
That’s according to industry insider and Apple analyst Ross Young.
Usually Apple announces new iPhone models in September.
But the company has launched a handful of iPhones at events in the spring.
It would be part of the cheaper iPhone SE range – which currently doesn’t have a 5G option.
Apple only began offering 5G phones in 2020 with the iPhone 12.
Since then, the iPhone 13 line-up has also launched with 5G on board.
Bloomberg journalist and long-time Apple leaker Mark Gurman also says that an iPhone SE 3 is on the way.
This handset is expected to launch in March or April, the Apple insider said in a newsletter.
Gurman says his sources haven’t explicitly confirmed that the device would be named iPhone SE 3.
But it seems likely given Apple’s history.
The iPhone SE stands for Special Edition, and launched back in 2016.
It was designed to be a cheaper option that ran alongside the iPhone 6S and 6S Plus.
This proved popular, so Apple repeated it in 2020 with the iPhone SE 2.
The device launched with the iPhone 11, but borrowed most of its design from the iPhone 8.
However, it shipped with more powerful components than the iPhone 8 – and was significantly cheaper than the iPhone 11.
This event will be totally virtual.
That’s in contrast to pre-pandemic Apple showcases, which would be glitzy live affairs packed with media and gadget influencers.
Apple is tipped to be planning an iPhone 8-style device with a 4.7-inch display – and a Touch ID button on the front.
But it’s likely the phone will pack upgraded hardware, including a faster processor and more capable camera.
Rumours suggest it will cost just $299 – and the old iPhone SE will fall to an even lower $199.
The big news would be the introduction of 5G, which is now more widely supported across the US and UK.
We’re also expecting to see a more powerful iPad Air with a newer custom A-series chip.
And a newer Mac is on the cards, too.
More to come…
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This post first appeared on Thesun.co.uk
