Verizon today announced that it is ahead of schedule with its rollout of 5G Ultra Wideband technology, and that the faster speed 5G will cover 175 million people by the end of the year.
Both Verizon and AT&T were able to expand their 5G networks in January with the deployment of C-Band 5G spectrum. Verizon pledged to bring 5G Ultra Wideband connectivity to 1,700 cities in January, covering over 100 million people. Verizon says that its accelerated goal of reaching 175 million people at the end of 2022 has been made possible by "the incredible pace of deployment achieved by Verizon's network engineering team."
5G Ultra Wideband from Verizon is up to 10x faster than LTE speeds and can hit speeds of more than a gigabit per second.
Verizon today also announced a new "+play" feature for subscribers, offering a "direct-to-consumer platform" to allow users to discover, purchase, and manage their favorite subscriptions in one place, similar to Apple TV Channels. Verizon customers will have access to exclusive deals through partnerships with Disney+, Netflix, Peloton, and others. +play is set to launch later this year.
Samsung in February introduced its latest high-end flagship smartphone, the Galaxy S22 Ultra. We picked up one of the new Samsung devices, and thought we'd compare it to Apple's top-of-the-line smartphone, the iPhone 13 Pro Max, to see how the two premium phones compare to one another when it comes to camera quality.
The Galaxy S22 Ultra is equipped with four total cameras this year, including a 108-megapixel wide angle camera, a 12-megapixel ultra wide-angle camera, a 10-megapixel telephoto camera with 10x optical zoom, and a 10-megapixel camera with 3x optical zoom.
Comparatively, the iPhone 13 Pro Max has a 12-megapixel Wide lens, a 12-megapixel Ultra Wide lens, and a 12-megapixel Telephoto lens that supports 3x optical zoom. On paper, Samsung certainly wins out when it comes to raw specifications, especially in the optical zoom department.
In practice, though, both smartphones take incredible pictures and from photo to photo, it can be hard to pick a favorite as you can see in the photos from our video and from this article. Note that all of the photos we're showing were captured in RAW, and are straight out of the camera using the default settings of the smartphone, no edits involved.
You'll mainly see differences in color temperature, depending on the scene. The Galaxy S22 Ultra tends to have a cooler tone, while the iPhone 13 Pro Max is warmer. The S22 Ultra also tends to elevate highlights, and while it can sometimes appear sharper, some may find the images to be a bit too washed out because of it.
In some situations, the iPhone offers up more natural lighting for skin tones than the S22 Ultra, but the contrast that the iPhone uses can make dark areas darker, causing images to lose out on a touch of detail. The iPhone images tend to be more vibrant and can be more aesthetically pleasing, but it does really vary based on subject matter.
In Portrait Mode, there's a lot of similarity. Samsung has improved the edge detection and bokeh of its portrait photos, and both the iPhone 13 Pro Max and the S22 Ultra take great images. The iPhone is of course more vibrant, and in some images, it's a little sharper. Unfortunately, Samsung is still not great at skin tones and the S22 Ultra does not do as well at preserving skin texture.
When it comes to telephoto capabilities, the 10x optical zoom, the 30x digital zoom, and the 100x digital zoom offered by the S22 Ultra are leagues ahead of the iPhone with its 3x optical zoom and 15x digital zoom. 100x zoom is fun to see how close you can get, but even at 30x, you can get some fairly usable photos out of the S22 Ultra.
As for video recording, the iPhone has the edge because it supports Dolby Atmos and ProRes for higher-quality video for those who need it, but for everyday videos, both are more than adequate. Cinematic Mode is better than Samsung's Live Portrait video option because Samsung restricts the feature to faces only, and the iPhone also wins out when it comes to stabilization. The Galaxy S22 Ultra does support 8K video unlike the iPhone 13 Pro Max, but the lack of good stabilization affects the quality.
It's unlikely that most people are picking their smartphone based on the camera capabilities alone, and ecosystem plays a huge role. Someone who owns multiple Apple devices probably isn't going to go out and buy an S22 Ultra, nor is a regular Samsung owner likely to swap out of that ecosystem for an iPhone.
In day to day use, these smartphones are incredibly similar and really both take gorgeous, high-quality photos that rival those you can get with high-end point and shoot cameras, especially when lighting is good. What iPhone users can glean from the S22 Ultra is what we might see Apple do in the future. Will Apple rival that 10x optical zoom lens? Rumors say yes, because there's a periscope lens with greater zoom capabilities in the works, and Apple is always working to boost camera technology.
What did you think of the photos in the video? Make sure to give it a watch to see all of the comparisons, and then let us know whether you prefer the Galaxy S22 Ultra or the iPhone 13 Pro Max.
Apple has announced it will be holding a special event on Tuesday, March 8, under the tagline "Peek Performance," where it is expected to announce a new iPhone SE, iPad Air, and at least one new Mac.
Apple is thought to have a busy year of product announcements in store for 2022, including multiple new Macs, at least three new Apple Watches, new iPhones, and more. Next week's event is the first of the year, but it'll only check off a few rumored product announcements from the list for 2022. To help set expectations ahead of the event, we've compiled a list of products Apple is unlikely to announce during its event tomorrow, but rather later on in the year or in 2023.
Larger Apple Silicon iMac
Apple is expected to announce at least one new Mac at its event next week, but that's unlikely to be a larger Apple silicon iMac. Apple last updated the iMac with the 24-inch design powered by the M1 chip.
The other iMac in the lineup, the 27-inch iMac, continues to feature an almost 10-year old design, but Apple is rumored to be working on a new model expected to launch sometime in the summer. The larger Apple silicon iMac is rumored to be powered by the M1 Pro and M1 Max chips, features a mini-LED, ProMotion display, and a design similar to the 24-inch desktop.
Second-Generation AirPods Pro
The second-generation AirPods Pro will launch this year if rumors pan out, but it won't be at the upcoming event on Tuesday, March 8. The AirPods Pro have not been updated since 2019 when they first launched, other than the addition of a MagSafe case last October. The second generation of Apple's high-end earphones is expected to feature a new, more compact design, support for Lossless audio, a new charging case, and possibly some health-tracking features.
Apple's AR/VR Headset
Apple's rumored AR/VR headset launch might be the biggest announcement from the company this year, but it'll have to wait a little longer to take place. While Apple has been working on the headset for a considerable amount of time, rumors suggest this event won't be the time we'll hear about it.
Apple was initially planning an unveil for the headset in June, around WWDC, but recent reports of development issues have cast doubt on such a timeline, suggesting a launch in 2023 could be more likely.
iPhone 14 and New Apple Watches
Apple always releases its flagship iPhones and Apple Watches in the fall, sometime around September or October. Don't expect to hear about the iPhone 14 or the Apple Watch Series 8 next week; instead, expect updates to the low-end iPhone SE but no Apple Watch announcements.
Conclusion
On the surface, Apple's event next week seems subdued, but it'll still likely include some discussion about the company's services and could offer some dates on the public release of iOS and iPadOS 15.4, alongside macOS Monterey 12.3, which enables Universal Control. Apple's second event of the year is likely to be the Worldwide Developers Conference in June, but no details have so far been shared about it.
Apple is planning to drop its mask requirements for retail and corporate employees in the United States due to a decline in Covid-19 cases and a relaxation of local mandates, reports Bloomberg.
For vaccinated corporate employees, masks are now optional in regions where local indoor mask mandates have ended. Retail staff in a small number of locations have also been informed that masks will become optional starting on Friday, and as more regions do away with mask mandates, Apple will make masks optional at additional locations.
Though masks are optional for customers and employees in many locations, Apple is still recommending mask usage and providing masks upon request.
Apple in February stopped requiring customers to wear masks in many Apple Store locations across the United States in accordance with changes in local guidelines, and it reintroduced in-person Today at Apple classes this morning.
At the current time, Apple has not yet informed corporate employees of when they might be required to return to the office, but with mask mandates dropping and Google bringing workers back in April, we could hear an update from Apple in the near future.
Note: Due to the political or social nature of the discussion regarding this topic, the discussion thread is located in our Political News forum. All forum members and site visitors are welcome to read and follow the thread, but posting is limited to forum members with at least 100 posts.
Amazon's all-time low discount on the 14-inch MacBook Pro (M1 Pro, 16-core GPU, 1TB SSD) has returned this week, dropping the price of the notebook to $2,249.99 with on-page coupon, down from $2,499.00. This sale is only available in Silver, and you won't see the sale price until you reach the checkout screen due to the automatic on-page coupon.
Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with some of these vendors. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.
With the coupon, this deal takes a total of $249 off the original price of this 14-inch M1 MacBook Pro. To date this is the best discount that we've ever tracked on this model, and only Amazon is reaching this low of a price at this time.
Note: You won't see the deal price until checkout.
You can find even more discounts on other MacBooks by visiting our Best Deals guide for MacBook Pro and MacBook Air. In this guide we track the steepest discounts for the newest MacBook models every week, so be sure to bookmark it and check back often if you're shopping for a new Apple notebook.
Apple today announced that it is resuming in-person "Today at Apple" sessions at Apple Stores across the United States.
Starting on March 7, Apple will resume the in-person sessions in time to celebrate Women's History Month. Apple invites music fans and creators of all skill levels to their local Apple Store to explore remixing music in GarageBand, using music by Lady Gaga.
During the free 30-minute session, participants will experiment with Live Loops, Remix FX, and more, to create a unique version of Lady Gaga's song "Free Woman." Participants can register now at apple.co/remix-lady-gaga.
Note: Due to the political or social nature of the discussion regarding this topic, the discussion thread is located in our Political News forum. All forum members and site visitors are welcome to read and follow the thread, but posting is limited to forum members with at least 100 posts.
Today we're tracking a discount on Apple's 2020 64GB Wi-Fi iPad Air, available for $539.00, down from $599.00. This sale is available in Space Gray, Green, and Sky Blue. All models are in stock and shipped directly from Amazon.
Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with some of these vendors. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.
Overall, this is a second-best deal on the 64GB Wi-Fi iPad Air, and we've only seen a return to record low prices once in the past few months. With that discount being so rare, today's offer from Amazon is still a solid deal on the tablet.
For those shopping for the iPad Air, remember that we are expecting to see an update to the lineup during next week's "Peek Performance" event, but those brand new models won't see discounts for a while.
For even more iPad deals, head to our full Best Deals guide for iPad. In that guide we track the best discounts online for iPad, iPad mini, iPad Air, and iPad Pro.
Apple is purportedly ramping up mini-LED chip production and bringing more manufacturers into its supply chain to meet demand for new devices in 2022, DigiTimes reports.
Apple has expanded its use of mini-LED technology over the past three years and currently offers three devices that feature mini-LED displays: The Pro Display XDR, the 12.9-inch iPad Pro, and the high-end MacBook Pro. The company is expected to have several new devices with mini-LED displays in the pipeline for launch this year, including the 11-inch iPad Pro, 27-inch iMac Pro, redesigned MacBook Air, and potentially even new external displays.
Taiwan's Epistar is currently Apple's main supplier of mini-LED chips, but the company's growing number of devices with mini-LED displays has reportedly forced it to seek additional suppliers. Citing industry sources, DigiTimes claims that China's Sanan Optoelectronics is significantly undercutting the prices of Apple's current suppliers and has now been granted certification to supply the company with chips for mini-LED backlit displays.
Apple's demand for mini-LED display technology is "expected to significantly increase in 2022," according to DigiTimes, likely due to the continued success of the high-end MacBook Pro Models as well as the launch of new devices. To meet Apple's growing demand, Epistar is expanding its production facilities in China to ramp up production starting in the second quarter of 2022, and Sanan Optoelectronics could begin shipments around the same time.
Mini-LED display technology, which Apple brands as "Liquid Retina XDR" displays, can offer deeper, darker blacks, with better overall contrast, although, unlike OLED displays, they can suffer from a phenomenon called "blooming." Mini-LED displays can also show brighter, richer colors and offer additional benefits such as thinner designs, better power efficiency, and less risk of burn-in or degradation.
The report claims that Foxconn, the colossal manufacturer behind most iPhone models, and Luxshare Precision, the assembler behind Apple devices such as AirPods, are angling to produce Apple's car. Foxconn has moved into EV manufacturing and last year unveiled a chassis and a software platform to help carmakers bring models to market faster. Meanwhile, Luxshare is collaborating with Chinese automaker Chery to build EVs.
According to industry sources speaking to DigiTimes, while Apple is unlikely to work with Foxconn and Luxshare immediately, the suppliers are positioned to play a key role in Apple's future vehicle plans. South Korea's Hyundai and Canada's Magna International are said to be best placed to partner with Apple initially and can provide better manufacturing expertise and infrastructure than Foxconn or Luxshare Precision. Both Hyundai and Magna have been at the center of plausible Apple car rumors, and Hyundai has even publicly confirmed its discussions with Apple.
Instead, Foxconn could gradually build up its presence in Apple's vehicle supply chain over time by leveraging its existing relationship with the company, its newly-developed EV platform, electronic component manufacturing capabilities, and experience from collaborations with automakers like Stellantis and Fisker.
Apple is expected to need to manufacture cars for the China market almost entirely in China. For example, Apple cars for the United States market are likely to have batteries supplied by South Korea's LG, SK On, or Samsung, while Apple cars for the China market are likely to be supplied by China's CATL and BYD. Luxshare is said to be closely in alignment with Apple's EV manufacturing needs for the China market and is reportedly preparing for the vehicle's debut in the country.
The sources also said that it is too early to assume that Apple has finished designing its EV and carried out road testing. Reuters believes Apple is aiming to begin production on its car in 2024, but Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo believes it will be 2025 to 2027 at the earliest before the vehicle is ready for launch.
Transcend has begun offering its JetDrive Lite 330 expansion cards for 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models, providing users of Apple's latest Macs with an affordable way to increase storage capacity. The cards provide up to 512GB of additional storage for less than $90, giving users a viable alternative to paying Apple's high prices for more internal storage at point of purchase.
The JetDrive Lite expansion cards are tailor-made with a flush design that matches the case form factor of both MacBook Pro Models, and offer maximum sequential read and write speeds of 95MB/s and 75MB/s, respectively.
Once the JetDrive Lite 330 is inserted into the card reader slot, the additional storage can be used to hold large files, like RAW images or 4K video for example, or the card can serve as an onboard Time Machine backup.
Transcend says the JetDrive Lite expansion cards come with a five-year limited warranty and are manufactured using advanced COB (chip-on-board) technology, making them resistant to water, dust, and shock. Other than 2021 MacBook Pro Models, the JetDrive Lite 330 also supports 13-inch Retina MacBook Pro (late 2012-early 2015 models).
The JetDrive Lite Series of expansion cards are available now on Amazon, with prices starting at $35.99 for the 128GB version and $89.99 for the 512GB capacity card.
Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with Amazon. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.
Samsung has begun developing more advanced OLED panels that should meet Apple's requirements for use in future iPads and Macs, according to a new report from The Elec.
Previous reports have suggested Apple intends to release an iPad with an OLED display provided by Samsung in 2024, but Apple is seeking OLED panels for larger displays that have a "two-stack tandem structure," which have two emission layers, thus doubling brightness and quadrupling OLED display lifespan.
All Apple's iPhones use a single-stack structure, and Apple's rationale for requiring two-stack panels is that iPads tend to be used for longer. The expectation is that these more advanced panels will also eventually make their way into MacBooks and iMacs. Apple currently only uses OLED displays for the iPhone and the Apple Watch, but Macs and iPads are limited to LCD and mini-LED.
Apple and Samsung were reportedly working together to create a 10.86-inch OLED panel in 2021, but work on the display was halted in the third quarter because the project was said to be too expensive for Samsung, and Samsung was not able to manufacture enough of the panels at the right price.
With Samsung now actively developing the two-stack panels, which Samsung is calling the T Series (T for tandem), the Korean company's display arm is aiming to develop the T1 material set to get customer evaluation, and is aiming to apply the material for commercial production in 2023.
With the necessary manufacturing equipment in place, Samsung will then move on to developing the set's successor, T2, for which it aims to start commercial production in 2024. Given this timeline, it's the T2 material set that will likely be the first panels used by Apple for its iPads, according to today's report.
In the meantime, Samsung is expected to first use the more advanced OLED panels in its Galaxy Tab and Galaxy Books series, allowing it to maintain hardware leadership over Apple in the display hardware space.
Recent rumors have suggested that Apple is also working with BOE on larger-sized OLED panels destined for Macs and iPads, with BOE's recently converted factory able to manufacture OLED displays that are up to 15 inches in size.
A "hashflag" for Apple's upcoming "Peek Performance" event has gone live on Twitter, offering users a special stylized Apple logo alongside "#AppleEvent" as a means to promote and increase visibility for the event.
According to Jane Manchun Wong's Hashflag Browser, the hashflag will remain live on the platform until March 11 and is designated under "#AppleEvent," "#EventoDaApple," and "#ÉvénementApple."
Apple's use of a Twitter hashflag is not new, and the company has had one for every event since September 2020. According to Agency Creative, these "hashflags" can cost upwards of one million dollars, and they're commonly seen for large events like the Super Bowl or holidays.
Apple yesterday officially announced it would be holding an event on Tuesday, March 8 at 10:00 a.m. Pacific, where rumors suggest a new iPhone SE, iPad Air, and at least one new Mac will be announced. The event tagline, "Peek performance," has prompted speculation that Apple may offer a peek at a future product, but that remains purely speculative.
For a full rundown of everything we expect, see our guide.
Google today told employees that they will need to return to their physical offices starting on Monday, April 4, reports CNBC. This will apply to employees located in the Bay Area, which is where Google has a Mountain View-based main campus, along with employees in other locations around the United States.
Santa Clara County,t where Google and Apple are located, has been lifting Covid-related restrictions as infection rates have significantly dropped, and the indoor mask mandate in the area ended today, paving the way for Google to ask workers to return.
With cases dropping and Google calling employees back to the office, there's a chance that Apple is going to follow in the near future. Apple has been eager to get employees back to 1 Infinite Loop, Apple Park, and other offices in the Bay Area, but it has had to push back return dates several times now.
Apple has promised to give employees at least one month notice before they are required to go back to work, and Apple is also implementing a hybrid work schedule. Employees will be expected to be in the office three days a week, but will have the option of working from home for two days a week. Apple also plans to allow employees to work remotely for up to one month per year, giving them more time to travel and be closer to loved ones.
Over the past two years, tech company employees have become used to working from home, and there has been pushback from Apple workers who do not want to do their jobs in person, especially as the company has successfully launched products, services, and software updates with most people working remotely. Employees sent letters to Apple pleading for the ability to work from home on a permanent basis, but Apple is a proponent for in-person collaboration.
Back in June, Apple CEO Tim Cook said there are things that video conferencing is unable to replicate. "For all that we've been able to achieve while many of us have been separated, the truth is that there has been something essential missing from this past year: each other," he said in a memo.
Like Apple, Google plans to have employees transition back to work using a hybrid schedule. Most workers will be expected to come into the office for three days a week, with two days available to work remotely. Google is also letting some employees work from home on a permanent basis.
Note: Due to the political or social nature of the discussion regarding this topic, the discussion thread is located in our Political News forum. All forum members and site visitors are welcome to read and follow the thread, but posting is limited to forum members with at least 100 posts.
Mophie in January introduced the 3-in-1 MagSafe Travel Charger, an official MagSafe accessory that directly competes with Apple's MagSafe Duo. Unlike the MagSafe Duo, Mophie's Travel Charger can charge three devices at once rather than two, plus it comes with an included power adapter, USB-C cable, and carrying case.
Priced at $150, or $20 more than the $130 MagSafe Duo, the 3-in-1 Travel Charger features a simple tri-fold design. It includes a pop-up Apple Watch charger that supports Nightstand Mode, a MagSafe charging puck, and a Qi charger for wirelessly charging AirPods.
Each of the three chargers has black plastic bases, but two of the actual charging pucks are Apple components. Belkin used to be the only company that had access to Apple's official MagSafe charging hardware, but now other third-party companies can get the components. Mophie's charger is using Made for iPhone certified Apple Watch and MagSafe charging hardware, while the Qi charger is a standard coil underneath the plastic base.
I'm not a fan of the black plastic that's being used for the bases of the chargers and for the single Qi charger because it feel like cheap, low-quality plastic, but it probably keeps costs down and it's also lightweight so the entire charging trio is fairly light. The outer casing features a heather gray/black fabric, and the chargers fold over one another into a compact square-shaped package.
The folded-up Travel Charger fits inside a felt travel pouch that also houses a USB-C charging cable for power purposes and a 30W power adapter that offers enough juice to charge an iPhone at 15W (12W for iPhone 12 mini and iPhone 13 mini), an Apple Watch, and the AirPods at 5W. The Apple Watch charger is not able to charge the Series 7 models at the faster charging rate as it is not a fast charger.
Everything included is basic and no-frills, but it's not unattractive and I appreciate that Mophie has included all of the components that you need to use the charger in one easy to carry package.
When unfolded, it's just over three inches wide and 12 inches long, and when folded up, it's about an inch and a half thick and about three and a half inches wide. The carrying case that it goes into is about seven inches long and four and a half inches wide, so when in the case, it is a good bit larger. You can carry it without the case if you want, but the case is handy to have for the cable and the power adapter.
For travel purposes, I think Mophie's 3-in-1 Travel Charger is ideal. Everything packs up into one neat case, and it's easy to get the components in and out when needed. I travel fairly often and have been using the MagSafe Duo, but I like that the Mophie charger has an extra spot for AirPods.
The MagSafe charger included with the Mophie accessory is essentially identical to Apple's own MagSafe charger. In my testing, it was able to charge an iPhone 12 that was dead to 33 percent in a half hour, which is about the same result that I see with a standard MagSafe charging cable.
Though designed for AirPods, the 5W Qi charging base of the 3-in-1 Travel Charger can be used with an iPhone as well, though charging will obviously be slower. The MagSafe charging spot can charge non-MagSafe phones (with no magnetic alignment) and it can also be used for AirPods, so those two spots have some versatility depending on the mix of devices you need to charge up.
Bottom Line
If you travel a lot and hate dealing with cables, Mophie's 3-in-1 Travel Charger is convenient, and it's also the best portable MagSafe charger on the market. I much prefer it to Apple's own MagSafe Duo because it has an extra charging spot and comes with the charging cable and USB-C power adapter that I need to charge at full speed.
It's not the best looking charger, but it's perfectly serviceable and worked well in my testing. On the downside, it's expensive at $150, but it is priced competitively with other multi-device MagSafe charging solutions that are on the market and worth considering for those who have a need that it meets.
Apple today announced that its first event of 2022 will take place on Tuesday, March 8. Featuring the tagline "Peek Performance," the event is now featured on Apple's events website, and if you visit the page on an iPhone or iPad, you can see an augmented reality version of the logo Apple created.
Nested Apple icons in shades of yellow, orange, red, pink, and purple are featured in this year's event image, and there is an animated internal effect along with radiating colors along with accompanying music.
Tap on the colorful Apple logo on the page to open Apple's AR viewer, which allows you to scan the area around you and see the animated logo in action. You can also view it in "Object" mode to get a clearer picture of what it looks like.
Apple always creates unique graphics for its events, and each one comes with a morphing augmented reality logo for people to check out.
In addition to adding the Peek Performance event to its webpage, Apple has also uploaded a placeholder video to YouTube, where the event will be livestreamed. People can sign up for reminders to get notified when the event takes place.
Apple's event will kick off at 10:00 a.m. Pacific Time on Tuesday, March 8. In addition to being streamed on YouTube, the event can also be watched through the events webpage and in the Apple TV app. If you're unable to watch, you can tune in to MacRumors on the site or through our MacRumorsLive Twitter account.
Rumors suggest the event will focus on 5G connectivity, with Apple bringing 5G to the iPhone SE and the iPad Air. We're also expecting at least one new Mac, and possibilities include the Mac mini and the 13-inch MacBook Pro.
Apple today announced that it will be holding its first event of 2022 on Tuesday, March 8 at 10:00 a.m. Pacific Time at the Steve Jobs Theater on the Apple Park campus in Cupertino, California.
As with the 2021 events, Apple's first event of 2022 will continue to be a digital-only gathering with no members of the media invited to attend in person due to the ongoing public health crisis.
We've already heard quite a few rumors about what we can expect to see at the March 8 event. Apple is expected to announce the next-generation version of the iPhone SE, a revamped iPad Air, and at least one Mac with an Apple silicon chip, which could be the Mac mini, the 13-inch MacBook Pro, or both.
The third-generation iPhone SE will look similar to the second-generation model available now, and no design changes are expected. It will continue to feature thick bezels and a Touch ID Home button, but it will include an updated A-series chip, likely the A15, and faster 5G connectivity. Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo has said it will be Apple's most affordable 5G iPhone.
Apple isn't going to make any design changes to the next-generation iPad Air either, but it too will get a faster chip and 5G connectivity. It could also be updated with a new FaceTime camera that supports Center Stage, the feature that keeps you in frame even as you move around the room.
As for Macs, Apple is rumored to be planning to release a higher-end version of the Mac mini with an overhauled design and M1 Pro and M1 Max chips. The new Mac mini will replace the current Intel Mac mini options, and it could come at Apple's March event.
The final device rumored for March 8 is an updated version of the 13-inch MacBook Pro, which is said to be equipped with an M2 chip, the successor to the M1 chip. The MacBook Pro will look identical to the current 13-inch model, and it will be a lower-end version of the 14 and 16-inch MacBook Pro models that have M1 Pro and M1 Max chips.
The M2 chip will feature the same 8-core CPU as the M1, but speed and efficiency improvements are expected, as are GPU improvements. Rumors suggest the M2 chip will be available in 9 and 10-core GPU options, up from the 7 and 8-core GPU options available with the original M1 chip.
Apple plans to stream the event live on its website and in the Apple TV app when it kicks off at 10:00 a.m. Pacific Time on March 8. For those unable to watch, MacRumors will be providing full event coverage both on MacRumors.com and through the MacRumorsLive Twitter account.
Apple and its service partners can now repair Face ID on an iPhone without replacing the entire device, allowing the company to offer cheaper and more environmentally sustainable means of device repairs to customers.
As MacRumorsreported last week, Apple Stores and authorized service providers would soon be receiving parts of the TrueDepth Camera system, including the front-facing camera and Face ID.
In a new memo seen by MacRumors today, Apple said it has begun to send out those parts to authorized service providers and Apple Stores, allowing for Face ID repairs without whole-unit replacement. Repair prices will vary depending on the service provider, location, and device. The new repair option is available only for the iPhone XS and later. The iPhone X, which marked the birth of Face ID, is not supported.
Apple said that the new repair option is not available in Argentina, Barbados, Bermuda, Brazil, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Trinidad, and Tobago, Uruguay, and Venezuela. The memo did not offer any timetable for when availability may expand to other countries.
Apple Inc. is targeting a date on or near March 8 to unveil a new low-cost iPhone and an updated iPad... Given that the planned timing is still more than a month away, the company's plans may change in the face of production delays or other changes...
Global events have changed considerably between February 4, when Gurman's article was published, and March 1, when invites would have likely been sent out for an event on March 8. It seems plausible that Apple could have chosen to delay its spring event until international tensions are calmer and there is a better climate for optimism to unveil new products.
There is a small chance that Apple could still hold an event on March 8, but this would mean sending out invites less than a week before the event and this is very uncharacteristic of Apple. While the company did give just six days of notice for its event in October 2021, invites were sent out on Tuesday for the event on the following Monday, so this still seems unlikely for the rumored spring event this year.
When Could the Spring Event Be Now?
Looking ahead, there are still lots of potential dates for when Apple could host its spring event. In line with Gurman's rumor, a spring Apple event in March seems most likely, with the company having held an event in March in six of the past eleven years. Only two spring events have occurred in April:
April 8, 2010
March 2, 2011
March 7, 2012
March 9, 2015
March 21, 2016
March 27, 2018
March 25, 2019
April 20, 2021
Apple typically holds its events on Tuesdays, with invites being sent out to the media one week earlier. Unless Apple provides less than a week's notice ahead of its Spring event this year and with no invites sent out yet, an event on March 8 can now be mostly ruled out. This leaves three other potential dates this month:
Tuesday, March 1
Tuesday, March 8
Tuesday, March 15
Tuesday, March 22
Tuesday, March 29
Another rumor suggests that Apple could be targeting Wednesday, March 9 or Thursday, March 10 for its event, citing that Belkin is planning to launch accessories for the as-yet unreleased third-generation iPhone SE on March 10 in Japan:
Belkin plans to launch new iPhone SE 3 accessories on March 10. The Apple event could be scheduled for March 10, expect invitations starting tomorrow. pic.twitter.com/GAhXUpEaY8
— Majin Bu (@MajinBuOfficial) March 2, 2022
With Apple choosing to host its spring event in April last year and opting for an event on Monday in October 2021, there is a chance that the company is starting to deviate slightly from its expected patterns, which may make an event on a Thursday more believable, but since Japan is 17 hours ahead of time in Cupertino, Wednesday, March 9 may be a more likely date.
Likewise, Gurman's original claim said that Apple was "targeting a date on or near March 8," meaning that March 9 or March 10 would still be more or less in line with the most influential spring Apple event rumor to date.
Could There Just Be No Apple Event?
Given the state of current affairs, there is also a chance that Apple could simply choose to unveil its new products via newsroom posts and press releases. Apple is expected to release an updated iPhone SE, iPad Air, and 13-inch MacBook Pro this spring, and all of these products would be good candidates for a more low-key announcement via press release since they are expected to be minor internal upgrades.
My take: we could see press releases for new Apple products this month. An #AppleEvent with all the associated hoopla could come across as tone deaf given current global affairs.
— Tim Hardwick (@waxeditorial) March 2, 2022
The current iPhone SE, which was a substantially bigger upgrade than is expected for the new model this year, was unveiled in a press release in 2020 when there was no spring Apple event, and the company has also done this for various other iPad and Mac upgrades over the years.
It seems like it is just matter of time before we know when these new devices will be formally unveiled, and it is worth keeping an eye out at around 9am PST, which is when Apple usually sends out event invites. We will update this article as soon as we know more about when Apple's spring event is set to take place.
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