Top stories: Apple event rumored on March 23, iMac Pro and HomePod were discontinued and more

Rumors of a potential Apple event begin to warm as we approach the time of year when Apple frequently hosts an event, so watch out for more information about this front in the coming days and weeks.

This week, Apple also confirmed that it has discontinued both the iMac Pro and the original HomePod, while rumors continue to look forward to Apple’s new silicone MacBook Pro models later this year, a mixed reality headset in 2022, augmented reality glasses until 2025 and maybe even some kind of augmented reality contact lenses until the 2030s. Read below for details on these stories and more!

The next Apple event rumored for March 23

March is a regular month of the year for Apple to announce new or updated products, and this year will probably be no exception.

A trusted Chinese leaker, known as “Kang,” said this week that an Apple event is scheduled for Tuesday, March 23, with potential new products, including Apple’s long-awaited AirTags item trackers, a new iPad Pro with Mini-LED display, third generation AirPods and a new Apple TV. One wildcard possibility is an iMac redesigned with an Apple silicon chip.

If the rumor is correct, Apple should officially announce the event early next week. Due to the ongoing pandemic, the event will definitely be another virtual adventure, with a pre-recorded video from Apple Park.

Apple confirms iMac Pro will be discontinued when supplies run out, recommends 27-inch iMac

After adding an “end of supplies” notification to the iMac Pro product page late last week and removing all update options for the computer, Apple confirmed to MacRumors that the iMac Pro will be discontinued when supplies run out. The computer remains available for the time being, but delivery estimates are a few weeks away.

Apple said the latest 27-inch iMac introduced in August is the preferred choice for the vast majority of iMac pro users, and said customers who need even more performance and scalability can choose the Mac Pro. Of course, it would be worth exercising your patience, because rumors suggest that Apple is working on an iMac redesigned with an Apple silicon chip for launch this year, and the performance should be quite impressive.

Apple has previously confirmed that its transition to Apple silicon on Macs will be completed by June 2022.

Apple is giving up the full-sized HomePod to focus on the HomePod Mini

The iMac Pro was not the only Apple product to be discontinued in the last week, with Apple also announcing that it had discontinued the original HomePod, with orders only available until stocks run out. Apple says it will focus its efforts on the smaller and cheaper HomePod mini, which was launched in November last year.

Apple hopes that the high-quality sound of “HomePod” will give it an advantage over competing products, but sales of omeHomePod‌ have always been weak, with so many more affordable options on the market. Apple sold ‌HomePod‌ for $ 299, but was initially priced at $ 350. ‌HomePod mini‌ is available for $ 99.

Should you buy a refurbished iPhone very cheaply from Amazon?

Amazon keeps lists of its best-selling products, and right now, the best-selling smartphone available from Amazon is an Amazon “renewed” iPhone 8, which is often priced below $ 200.

It’s very cheap for an “iPhone” and cheaper than Apple’s refurbished price for the same device, so in our latest YouTube video we took one of these renewed Amazon iPhones to see if it’s worth the savings.

Amazon’s “renewed” devices are all owned and not Apple certified, but Amazon says they have been “inspected, tested and cleaned” by qualified Amazon suppliers. Please note that iPhones come from different third-party vendors and are not necessarily supplied directly by Amazon.

Two new Apple Silicon MacBooks are expected to enter mass production in the second half of 2021

Apple plans to redesign Apple’s silicon-powered 14- and 16-inch MacBook Pro models to be launched in the second half of 2021, according to well-known analyst Ming-Chi Kuo and a Nikkei Asia this week’s report gave credence to this time frame.

In a report focused on Apple that reduced orders for iPhone 12 mini from suppliers, the publication briefly mentioned that Apple rejected the mass production of the two new MacBooks from May or June until the second half of the year. The report refers to notebooks as “MacBooks,” but is likely to refer to future MacBook Pro models.

The second half of the year begins in July, so Apple suppliers should have enough time to increase production for a launch later in the year.

Kuo expects new MacBook Pro models to have brighter displays with Mini-LED backlighting, a new flat-edged top and bottom design, an HDMI port and SD card reader, classic MagSafe charging with a magnetic cable power and physical function keys instead of Touch Bar.

Kuo: Apple will launch the mixed reality headset in mid-2022 and augmented reality glasses by 2025

Apple plans to launch the long-rumored mixed-reality AR / VR headphones “in the middle of 2022,” followed by augmented reality glasses by 2025, well-known analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said this week.

Kuo also looked far into the future and predicted that Apple would launch “contact lenses” sometime after 2030. He said the product would bring electronics from the “visible computing” era to the “invisible computing” era, but “No visibility” “for this product yet and did not provide further details.

Apple is very dedicated to AR / VR technologies, according to Kuo, who has a “positive vision” about Apple’s future in space.

Apple accuses the former employee of stealing trade secrets and leaking them to the media

Apple has filed a lawsuit against Simon Lancaster, a former employee who allegedly used his position within the company to steal “sensitive business information of trade secrets” from Apple, which were then disclosed to a journalist and published in rumors. .

Lancaster worked at Apple for more than a decade, using his seniority to attend internal meetings and access documents that Apple says are “outside the scope of his job responsibilities.” The details he obtained were published in media articles that “quoted a” source “at Apple.”

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