This is it : Apple ’s 2022 is kicking off in earnest on Tueaday at the company ’s “ Peek Performance ” event . It ’s potential to boast the first of its major ware announcements for a class that , free-base on rumors , is crush - packed with fresh developments out of Cupertino .
Unlike the immense spectacle that is the companionship ’s June Worldwide Developers Conference — in which the company rolls out its software route map for the year onwards — or the gimcrack iPhone - centric announcement of the fall , Apple ’s spring result tend to be more of a omnium-gatherum , feature whatever the company has quick to go . In the past , that ’s ranged from iPads to Macs to the occasional iPhone , with plenty of other wildcards thrown in the mix .
As we reckon ahead to the spring event , let ’s run down the most likely culprit that Apple may indeed let us glint at .
SE, I told you so
If there ’s a lock for this particular event , it ’d probably be a unexampled revision to the company ’s budget iPhone , the SE . This will be the third looping of the low-spirited - cost smartphone , following 2020 ’s second - generation iPhone SE and its 2016 primogenitor .
Do n’t look too much from a new iPhone SE : this is n’t a product that ’s about roll out new engineering . Rather , it ’s a agency for the ship’s company to leverage its existing component and supplying chain to acquire a phone that ’s easier on the billfold than its latest and bully exemplar , while still providing solid performance . Speaking of operation , faster net access could be in the spotlight if Apple adds 5 G living .
commit that the secondly - gen SE is power by an A13 Bionic chip that debuted six calendar month before the phone was released , it ’s a reasonable prediction that the third - genesis model will use the A15 Bionic introduced in last fall ’s iPhone 13 . It ’s also likely to start at the same $ 399 price period as its herald and , I would wager , at the same 64 GB storage tier .
The next - gen iPhone SE seems like a sure stakes to make an show at Peek Performance .
Jason Cross / IDG
The big doubtfulness is the design . The first iPhone SE used the same body as the iPhone 5 and 5s , while the second - generation has followed the stylings of the iPhone 6 , 6s , 7 , and 8 . Will the third - generation model shake that up , finally transition into the edge - to - edge design of the iPhone X and onward ? Rumors point that it wo n’t , but it ’s certainly potential : Apple ’s been producing phones with that design for nigh on five years now , and both previous SE generations were released a smattering of long time after their design inspirations first appear on the conniption .
That said , whenever the new iPhone SE does take in the mod iPhone look and feel , do n’t wait all those gamey - end feature like face up ID to make the leap : a Touch ID button the sleep / wake button , à la the iPad Air , seems far more plausible .
Rarefied Air
A alteration to the iPad Air is also highly rumored to appear at the result . Apple ’s mid - range tablet has n’t been update since October 2020 , at which detail it got a important redesign to mime the current models of iPad Pro , albeit at a lower price point and without several big feature film , like Face ID .
But as the current Air is now a bit long in the tooth , I ’d expect it to get a nice little CPU prominence to the A15 Bionic . The prominent query , however , is the price distributor point and storage capacities . The current introductory spirit level of the iPad Air is 64 GB at $ 599 , which is a pretty sizeable Leontyne Price point for that amount of storage . ( The 9th - contemporaries iPad , by comparison , also starts at 64 GB , but for only $ 329 ; the 11 - column inch iPad Pro has twice the storage , but runs $ 200 more . )
Apple
The iPad Air should be positioned as the “ standard ” iPad for most mass , but right now , it does n’t compare favourably with its sibling . I ’d expect it to win a few additional features , such as Center Stage on its front - facing camera , a 5 G cellular choice , and a bump to a 12MP behind - facing tv camera . If Apple ’s content to keep the $ 599 monetary value point , I ’d wish to see it cull up ProMotion on the presentation as well , which might give up it to utilise the same panel as the 11 - inch iPad Pro — if not , there might be a uncommon toll registration to bring it back down to the more - attractive $ 499 at which the original iPad debut more than a decennium ago .
Big Mac attack
If there ’s a big dubiousness scrape floating above this event , it ’s the Mac . The “ Performance ” part of the tagline definitelyfeelslike it ’s about the Mac , especially since the company has already transitioned all but its most powerful Macs to Apple atomic number 14 . So I ’m willing to bet at least one new model will make an visual aspect .
report of multiple Macs cause their manner through regulatory agencies abroad has fed the idea that there could be a bevy of machine appearing next week , let in a revision to the 13 - inch MacBook Pro , and more potent configurations of the Mac mini , belike with the M1 Pro and perhaps even M1 Max available as option .
But what of the high - end iMac ? Apple does n’t routinely show off devices it ’s not ready to ship … but Apple never does anything until it does . The company ’s antecedently yield sneak peep at its pro screen background hardware , unveiling the iMac Pro at WWDC in June 2017 and not ship it until six months later on . The same conk out for the Mac Pro at WWDC 2019 , which also did n’t arrive until December of that year .
But if Apple ’s got the iMac Pro waiting in the wings , might the company show us a coup d’oeil of it now , in front of it transport in a few month ’s meter , and perhaps clearing the WWDC deck for a revamped Mac Pro to take the spotlight ? It ’s potential .
Could we see a re - growth of the iMac Pro ?
Dominik Tomaszewski / IDG
It ’s also potential — though I think unlikely — that this event might unveil the next - generation M2 CPU , perhaps powering the aforementioned 13 - in MacBook Pro update . But it seems as though that might be a second early for the party to peach about its next - generation fries when it has n’t even finished its political platform conversion . I ’d expect to see that silicon chip make its first appearance in a revamped MacBook Air later this yr , perhaps even in the fall .
What else?
Of course , as I remark , spring event lean to have some wildcards . There ’s a number of other things that Apple might discourse , including the launch of its await classical medicine servicing , bruit external displays , and perhaps even a new colour for the iPhone 13 ? ( I would definitely count on both Modern iPhone sheath and Apple Watch band vividness , though . )
With all of these possibilities floating around , we could be in store for a surprisingly braggart outcome for what is usually one of Apple ’s more modest clock time of twelvemonth . And , as always , there live the chance that the company might surprise us with something thatno oneexpects . So look forward to Apple denote that it ’s opening its first eat - in eatery , come up to an Apple Store near you .
Hey , it could chance .