Last week, Apple announced its first launch event of the year — dubbed “Peek performance” taking place on March 8. However, it didn’t shed light on devices that could debut. That’s not to say we’re going in completely blind. Rumors are swirling that the company could announce new phones, tablets, and computers. But which could be on the tasting menu this time around? Let’s take a deeper look at what we might see at the first Apple event of 2022.
See also: Apple iPhone buying guide
What to expect at Apple’s March 2022 event
iPhone SE (2022)
Also referred to as the iPhone SE 3, the company’s third-generation affordable iPhone could be the biggest release on the day. According to rumors from reliable sources, not much is expected to change aesthetically over the iPhone SE (2020). This means we could get the same staid design and a 4.7-inch display. However, the hardware beneath that aging skin could see significant upgrades.
See also: iPhone SE (2020) review
Per Bloomberg, the new iPhone SE could land with 5G support, which also signals the addition of the A15 Bionic SoC. This would give the phone a hefty processing power bump. It’s unclear if this hardware refresh will include a battery capacity buff, but we somehow doubt it.
Finally, we could see a welcome upgrade to the iPhone SE’s camera loadout. Could we see a dual-camera array or an upgraded lone sensor? We’ll have to wait and see.
iPad Air 5
Oliver Cragg / Android Authority
The iPhone SE (2022) isn’t the only mobile device expected. Apple could also debut a new fifth-generation iPad Air model with an upgraded chipset and 5G support. Previous reports from Japanese blog Mac Otakara pointed to the inclusion of the A15 Bionic SoC and an upgraded 12MP selfie camera with Center Stage support for better FaceTime face tracking. These two additions could make the iPad Air a solid mobile workhorse.
Once again, no sweeping aesthetic changes are expected. The iPad Air should mirror the design of its predecessor, which could include a 10.9-inch screen and a USB-C port.
New Mac Mini and MacBooks
Gary Sims / Android Authority
Apple could introduce a reworked Mac Mini carrying the M1 Pro or M1 Max chipsets. Notably, tips suggest that Apple is planning to bring several new Macs with Apple silicon to market this year, so it’s likely that at least one could make its debut at this week’s event.
See also: Which Apple MacBook should you buy?
There’s an outside chance we could see Apple debut an upgraded MacBook Air and a cheaper MacBook Pro, but there’s little evidence that either device will debut at next week’s event. A new iMac and Mac Pro offerings are also expected to land at some point in 2022.
iOS 15.4
Finally, Apple has been hard at work recently pushing beta versions of iOS 15.4 to devices. The latest version of the company’s mobile OS could make its stable debut at the event, bringing Face ID support for mask wearers, anti-stalking features for AirTags, more inclusive voices for Siri, Universal Control for keyboard users, and new emojis.
So that’s everything you can expect to see launched at the Peek Performance showcase. What are you most excited to see at the Apple March 2022 event? Let us know in the comments below.
