Invitation to the Apple Spring Loaded event.
Apple
Apple has just announced a product event on April 20 in which it expects to announce new versions of the iPad Pro, AirTags tracking devices and more. The event will start at 13:00 ET.
Apple could use the event to continue riding the momentum that the iPad saw during the pandemic. In January, Apple reported iPad revenue of $ 8.44 billion for the first fiscal quarter, up 41% year-on-year. The new iPad Pro is expected to pack the newest and fastest Apple processor and may include a new type of screen that uses mini LED technology to produce better images for things like watching movies and viewing photos.
It is a digital event, which means it will be broadcast online instead of being held in person, due to the ongoing Covid pandemic. Last year, Apple refreshed the iPad Pro in March, when it also introduced the magic keyboard, which makes it feel more like a laptop. It announced its second-generation AirPods in March 2019, so it is possible that they will also be refreshed.
It has been rumored that Apple would launch AirTags, a Tile-like product that you can attach to items such as keys, or put in a bag and track them using Apple Find My software built into iPads. and iPhone. Apple has tested a way to track these devices in its iPhone beta software.
But Apple could use the event to introduce any number of new products. Other devices that can be upgraded include iMacs, which have not been upgraded to its new M1 processor.
Apple AirPods are the best-selling headphones in the world. It makes sense to refresh them to keep the momentum going while competitors introduce similar products, often at lower prices. However, Apple’s top analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said in March that the new AirPods could not be released until the third quarter of this year.
And finally, Apple TV is long for an update. Apple TV 4K, the current model, appeared in 2017, but even this was a minor update compared to the version that appeared in 2015. Bloomberg said in December that Apple is planning an update with a new remote control, an updated processor and a “Focus on games”.