2021 is behind us, and now the countdown is on for Apple to announce its first new products of the year. Of course, the iPhone 14 won’t see the light of day until the fall, but Apple should have at least one major reveal in store for the spring. In his latest newsletter, Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman said that Apple would host its first event of 2022 in March or April. During this virtual event, the company will likely debut the iPhone SE 3. This lines up with countless other recent rumors.
Apple’s iPhone SE 3 event coming this spring
For months, we have been hearing that Apple would launch the latest budget iPhone in the spring of 2022. Gurman has as good a track record as anyone when it comes to spoiling Apple’s plans. If he has heard that Apple is nearly ready to launch a new iPhone, it’s probably true.
On one hand, this is a relatively quick turnaround for Apple. The first-generation iPhone SE came out in March 2016, and it took four years for Apple to release a sequel. If the iPhone SE 3 does launch at an event this spring, it will have arrived in half the time.
That also explains why sources with insider knowledge believe this will be a relatively modest update. In his newsletter, Gurman suggests that the iPhone SE 3 will have the same design as the SE 2, which itself mirrored the iPhone 8. The notchless 4.7-inch screen will likely make its last appearance on the iPhone SE 3. Therefore, the upgrades will be internal, as Apple is expected to bring 5G compatibility and the A15 Bionic chip that debuted in the iPhone 13 to the iPhone SE 3.
What else does Apple have in store for 2022?
In his previous newsletter, Gurman wrote about Apple’s potential lineup of devices for 2022. Beyond the iPhone SE 3 this spring, Apple will also launch new Mac mini, Mac Pro, and iMac Pro models, “the biggest MacBook Air redesign in the product’s history,” an iPad Pro with wireless charging, the new iPhone 14 with a hole-punch display, and three new Apple Watches.
Gurman also suspects that WWDC will be virtual this year as well. Even if the Omicron wave has died down by the summer, Apple has been as cautious as any company when it comes to in-person events since the pandemic began. If there is any risk of an outbreak occurring on the company’s watch, then expect Apple to hold the WWDC 2022 conference remotely.
This would be the third year in a row that Apple has been unable to invite any developers to its annual developer conference. That said, we should still expect to see iOS 16, tvOS 16, macOS 13, and watchOS 9 at the event. Apple has yet to break from this tradition.
As chaotic as 2022 might end up being, it should still be a truly massive year for Apple. Virtually all of Apple’s best-selling product lines are being refreshed, and that’s to say nothing of the mixed reality headset that the company might finally show off before the end of the year.
