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Apple’s 2022 Spring occasion: what to anticipate – iPhone SE 3, iPads, AirPods, extra?

It’s that time of year again, the tech events are starting to kick off. You can smell the fresh gadgets in the air. Following usual tradition, we’re expecting Apple to hold an event this spring.

As rumoured, we’re currently expecting this event to take place on March 8. Either way, Apple’s spring events are always in March or April. It’s time to get excited for some of the more budget-friendly devices, as we take a look at what to expect from the event.

iPhone SE (3rd generation)

The rumor mill claims we’ll see a spruced up new generation of the iPhone SE. The device will be updated to a more modern standard, but will follow suit with lower specs than the flagship iPhone 13. Rumors claim the device will still take the old-style design, have a single camera, an average battery, and will pack either 2020’s A14 chip, or 2021’s A15. Interestingly, the device is tipped to be getting 5G, which will allow you to access those rapid network speeds.

Stuff says: We’re not quite sure where the iPhone SE belongs in 2022. It’s the cheapest iPhone, currently starting from £389, so caters for those on a budget. But with performance severely lacking compared to the cheapest flagship, the iPhone 13, or even last year’s iPhone 12, is it worth purchasing? Battery life was a complaint on the previous model, and 5G isn’t going to help this matter.

Likelihood: Apple previously announced the iPhone SE in a press release, so stage time at an event is unusual. But, we’ve been hearing about the iPhone SE coming at the event for months and from multiple sources, so it’s fairly likely. We’re also not expecting any totally new devices (like AirTags last year), so it might well be time for the SE to take center stage.

iPad Air (5th generation)

The rumor mill claims we’ll see some minor changes to the iPad Air, unlike 2020’s major design overhaul. A new OLED screen is on the cards, alongside the newest A15 Bionic chip, 5G, and a new dual-lens camera. According to sources, it’s unlikely we’ll see Face ID appear on this iPad Air model, and Apple will rather stick with the current Touch ID in the power button.

Stuff says: iPad Air refreshes come fairly regularly from Apple, though not on any particular schedule. There’s far less in this updated device than you might hope for, so it’s probably not going to be worth an upgrade if you’re on 2021’s iPad Air. But, if you’re coming from an earlier device, this would be perfect to get the latest and greatest tech from Apple in a more affordable package.

Likelihood: The iPad Air has been on the agenda for Apple’s spring event for months. We’re pretty confident that we’ll be seeing this, as Apple always announces new iPads at an event.

A new Apple Silicon Mac?

The rumor mill claims we’ll see some form of new Apple Silicon Mac at the event. This rumor comes from Mark Gurman, but we’ve not heard it from anyone else. There’s not much more information about the new Mac, other than that it’ll have a new Apple Silicon chip. We know, helpful, right? It could be a Mac mini, MacBook, or iMac.

Stuff says: Since this Apple event looks set to offer less expensive device options, such as the iPad Air, we’d expect Apple to follow this trend for the Mac device. A new MacBook Air seems most likely, as we’ve seen rumors of a new one for a while now. A new Mac mini is also on the cards.

Likelihood: Mark Gurman has an 85.5% accuracy rating on his leaks, according to source tracker AppleTrack. This means you can be fairly confident in reports coming from Gurman, though he has been wrong in the past. When Apple first announced its transition to silicon chips, the company explained it would do the whole range. With some devices not yet upgraded, they’re definitely on the cards.

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