What to expect from Apple's 'Peak Performance' March event?

Apple gears up for its first livestream event of 2022 at 1 p.m. on Tuesday, March 8. ET. The company sent out press invitation emails for the event titled "Peak Performance," following rumors strongly suggesting that Apple would announce a new third-generation iPhone SE with 5G.

Like last year's iPad Mini, the iPad Air may also get a new spec bump update at the event, along with an upgrade to both 5G and A15 Bionic processors. Another rumor suggests that an Apple Silicon "M2" upgrade may be coming alongside a redesigned MacBook Air. The new Macs may also get a show, including a Mac Mini with M1 Pro/M1 Max processor update, and new iMac and Mac Pro hardware are said to be in the works - but they'll likely come later in the year. will appear. Whatever the case, we may be seeing at least one of these new Macs on March 8th.

That's not all Apple can announce on Tuesday, so get your hopes up for the Apple event by reading about all the rumors and details below.

iPhone SE 3 with 5G

The upcoming third-generation iPhone SE is expected to succeed the 2020 model as the new budget-friendly iPhone alternative. The first iPhone SE came out in 2016 and has been available for four years, which means the SE line is poised for rapid change.

According to reliable analyst and leaker Ming-Chi Kuo, the iPhone SE 3 will likely feature the latest A15 Bionic chip, 5G with millimeter wave, 64GB of base storage with 128GB/256GB options, and retain the design and colors of the existing model. Kuo shared the information via Twitter on a verified account that has remained silent as of now.

The 2020 iPhone SE offered shockingly good value with the then-latest chipset, but its battery life was never the star of the show. Now that US carriers only want phones with 5G on their shelf, battery life will be a big concern in the new iPhone SE - especially if the form factor remains the same. The current iPhone SE body models the iPhone 8, but its aging design language dates all the way back to 2014 with the iPhone 6.

It is also possible that the iPhone SE borrows the form factor of the iPhone 13 Mini. Due to reports of lower-than-expected sales of the iPhone 12 mini, it is rumored that the iPhone 13 mini could be Apple's last compact mainline phone. But just as the iPhone SE from 2016 carried the compact design of the iPhone 5s, and the 2020 iPhone SE copied the smaller iPhone 8 design, the iPhone SE could be the new home for the mini.

No word yet on price, but don't expect to see a price drop to the initial $399. 5G modems are still expensive, so if the price remains the same then an initial storage option of 64GB makes sense. Touch ID will also keep costs down if the design keeps up.

a breath of fresh ipad air

The iPad Air gets an iPad Pro-style redesign in 2020: It gets flat edges, thinner bezels, Apple Pencil 2 support, USB-C, and a new Touch ID sleep/wake button. But still the refreshed design is already lagging behind: Last year's iPad Mini followed the design of the iPad Air, but one-upped it with the latest A15 Bionic processor and 5G data options (though just sub-6GHz and no-modes). No millimeter wave support) )

So it makes sense for Apple to roll out an updated iPad Air with the latest A15 Bionic processor and 5G option — and maybe take center stage. And although FaceID would be welcome, don't expect any other changes.

MacBook Air revamped and with a new M2 processor

It is possible that Apple will announce the new MacBook Air with the new M2 chip at this event. The current design of the MacBook Air dates back to 2018 and a test run was made for the introduction of the Apple M1 chip in 2020.

We reviewed the current MacBook Air along with the M1, which was one of the best laptops you can buy in 2020, scoring just right due to its less-than-stellar webcam.

But it's 2022 now, and we've got freshly updated MacBook Pro designs with a better screen and a better camera so you can expect the MacBook Air to follow soon. It may also come with a notch.

M1 Max Out on Mac Desktop

A new Mac mini was rumored to arrive late last year, but it never showed up. Right now, the only way to harness the power of the latest M1 Pro and M1 Max chips is in the latest MacBook Pro models. A new Mac Mini with the latest processor options will change that.

The current Mac Mini design dates back to 2010, which was made large enough to fit an optical drive. So now's the time to get us a new Mac Mini chassis, but if we don't, hopefully we'll at least get the "pro" looking space gray finish again. We can divide the Mac Mini into a Pro option and a Standard option that comes with a newer M2 processor.

Right now, there's only one iMac option with the M1 processor, but it only has a 24-inch screen option. If we don't see the new big iMacs on Tuesday, we may see it later in the year. The iMac Pro was also discontinued a year ago, so it would be an interesting surprise, though no supply chain leaks would indicate that a new version is imminent. There's also a Mac Pro that doesn't yet have an M1 option — and while it's rumored to be in the works, don't hold your breath for that one on Tuesday.

Apple TV Plus is getting more shows and movies

The last time Apple held an event was in March 2019, which featured a live presentation of new premium Apple services like Apple TV Plus. Three years later, it's quite possible that Apple may be rolling out new TV shows or movies starting last September.

one more thing?

Some speculation about the meaning of Apple's event points to the word "Peak" as the name of a VR/AR product called "Peak Performance". While Apple's long-rumored headset product isn't expected to be ready until 2023, there's probably a chance Apple could surprise and delight — just don't expect to see an Apple Car anytime soon.

Apple is also expected to release some software updates: iOS 15.4 that can unlock your Face ID-enabled iPhone while wearing a mask and the macOS Monterey Plus iPad OS 15.4 update that will eventually bring the iPad to the Mac Traversing Universal Control feature. will be able.