Apple’s First Event of the Year Reportedly Set for March 8

Every year, Apple hosts a handful of product launch events to announce new devices, and 2022 is shaping up to be no different. According to Bloomberg, the company’s first such event will be “on or near” March 8, which tracks—Apple usually announces new devices in the spring, and its events tend to be on Tuesdays. March 8 is not technically spring, but it’s spring enough, and it’s also a Tuesday.

So what’s in store March 8 or some other date adjacent to that one? Rumor has it Apple plans to announce an updated version of its popular iPhone SE (the cheapest iPhone available to buy) with 5G connectivity. An overhauled iPad Air is also reportedly on deck, as is a new Mac.

The iPhone SE launch would be particularly interesting. Apple hasn’t updated the $399 SE, which is the only iPhone in the lineup with Touch ID, in two years. According to Bloomberg, Apple is adding 5G, a faster processor, and a better camera to the phone but retaining its dated design (which some prefer to the iPhones with nearly edge-to-edge displays and facial recognition).

Apple’s middle-of-the-road iPad Air is also expected get a spec bump with a 5G modem and a faster processor. The $599 Air was last updated in fall 2020 with an iPad Pro-like redesign, and when I reviewed it at the time, I said it was the best iPad for most people. That remains true, though the Pro has since gotten a big display boost and the iPad Mini’s recent redesign makes it more compelling for folks who want a tablet that’s not trying to be a laptop replacement.

Apple is in the process of switching all of its Macs over from Intel to Apple Silicon, and according to Bloomberg, one of those Macs may take the stage at the March event.

The company is also expected to roll out big updates to iOS 15 and macOS Monterey that make it possible unlock an iPhone with a mask on and to seamlessly use a Mac with an iPad controlled by just one mouse, keyboard, or trackpad.

Apple hasn’t yet announced the event, so it remains to be seen if the product launch—which is expected to be streamed online rather than in person—will take place March 8. But the odds are pretty good that the company has plenty of products in store this year, and that we’ll see the first of those new devices very soon.