Apple a few days ago sent out invites for a March 25th press conference where the company is widely expected to unveil its own Netflix-like video streaming product. Services may be the focus of the upcoming keynote, but Apple is also expected to introduce new hardware soon, including the new AirPods 2 wireless headphones, the AirPower universal wireless charger, and a couple of affordable iPads, the iPad 7 and iPad mini 5. It’s unclear, however, whether all of these devices will be unveiled during the media event, but a new report suggests the launch of new iPads and AirPods is imminent.
Component suppliers from Asia are already manufacturing parts for unreleased Apple products, including iPad and AirPods, Digitimes says. The report notes that flexible PCB makers Flexium Interconnect and Zhen Ding Technology are readying mass production for the next-gen iPad, and Compeq Manufacturing and Unitech PCB make rigid-flex boards for the upcoming AirPods models.
The report doesn’t offer any details about either product but does refer to them as the “new-generation iPad” and AirPods 2. Digitimes’s sources said that Apple would introduce the devices on March 25th.
A report earlier this week said that Apple might be launching a third large-screen iPad this year, one that wasn’t mentioned in any of the previous rumors. The iPad 7 should sport a 10.2-inch display, but a 10.5-inch iPad “non-Pro” would debut later this year. We’d expect Apple to launch new iPad Pro models in late 2019 as well.
The AirPods 2, meanwhile, is probably the most exciting new Apple product of the first half of the year. The new wireless headphones will come in a case that can be recharged wirelessly by accessories like the AirPower and other compatible products, previous rumors said. Also, AirPods 2 could be available in two colors, including black and white, and sport additional features compared to the original model, including “Hey, Siri” support and health tracking sensors.
