Apple has something special ’in store’ for us — but what?
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What could Apple be preparing to launch this spring? Rumors run from iPhones to iPads to Macs to Watches and more!{.intro}
UPDATE: APPLE STORE DOWN! Apple has "something special in store for you" and it "can't wait for you to see it". At least that's what Apple Online says if you try to buy something right now. That's not the usual message we get when they're down for simply maintenance. Still, we can only expect new products when we see them. Check out the potential updates below!
Apple hasn't sent out invitations for a March event but that doesn't mean there won't be new products this spring. An April event might seem far away but even without an event in March, new products — more specifically, updates to existing products — can and have been announced without events.
But regardless of whether or not Tim Cook takes the stage this spring, what could we possibly see?
When will Apple launch new products this spring?
Even if Apple doesn't hold an event proper, they've established a pattern for when they do spring releases based on previous events. Patterns are only true until they're not, but here are the dates so far:
- 2016: March 21
- 2015: March 9
- 2012: March 7
- 2011: March 2
March is the most common window, but never underestimate the advantage of a few weeks extra time.
Will there be a new iPhones?
Apple typically unleashes new iPhones in September but last year we got an everything-old-is-new-again rebirth of the 4-inch screen size with iPhone SE. Could Apple be readying a repeat?
Never say never. Whether Apple simply bumps the storage on the existing iPhone SE model to 2017 and, perhaps, expands the color palette to appeal to existing small-phone fans, or gives it a processor and camera bump to bring it better in line with iPhone 7 remains to be seen.
Thanks to the relatively small amount of pixels iPhone, the performance is still fine, but everybody loves a better camera.
As to iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus, once again rumors are turning towards the RED. We've been hearing this, off and on, since iPhone 3G so it's tough to keep getting hopes up. Apple has been adding colors over the last few years, including gold for the iPhone 5s, rose gold for the iPhone 6s, and blacks for iPhone 7.
Apple typically reserves new colors for years where there's no substantial redesign, though. So, if iPhone 8 is the rumored redesign for 2017, would Apple debut RED for iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus in the spring, or save it for iPhone 7s and iPhone 7s Plus in the fall?
And new iPads Pro?
Last March we got the all-new 9.7-inch iPad Pro. It managed to cram all the features of the 12.9-inch iPad Pro into a casing as thin and light as iPad Air 2, and add True Tone and a better camera as well.
This year, rumor has it, we'll get second-generation versions of both that fully embrace Apple's A10 Fusion chipset. Whether that means the 12.9-inch iPad gets True Tone and the 9.7-inch iPad gets USB-3 speeds, we'll have to wait and see. But, Apple, please already.
It's also possible that Apple could zag here instead of zig, and either keep or add a lower-cost "iPad Pro" at the 9.7-inch size to replace the Air 2 and bring down the cost of entry for the Pro features.
Rumor also has it a 7.9-inch iPad Pro with all the Smart Connector and Apple Pencil bells and whistles will replace the iPad mini. While bigger iPhones have put a dent in smaller iPads, some people genuinely want digital field notes with all the sketching power, and good-enough typing, that a tiny Pro would provide.
Then there's the leap-forward iPad. The one with the rumored edge-to-edge OLED display that fits a 10.5-inch panel into a body that's still roughly the size of the Air 2.
Whether that's ready for March, and whether Apple would rather save those kinds of features for iPhone 8, remains a question.
I just hope it comes in black.
Read our full next-generation iPad rumor roundup!
Watch bands... but no Watches?
Apple Watch Series 2 debuted just six months ago, so it's way early for series 3. Could new case colors be in the works? Jet black might not be durable enough for something worn on your wrist, but product RED? Metallic blue? There are still lots of options to explore if Apple chooses to.
What it's also never too early for are new Watch bands! Since launching in spring of 2015, Apple has shown off new, seasonal Watch bands every six months like — wait for it! — clockwork.
New colors seem like a lock at this point. I'd like to see the Hermès back in stock but beyond that, I'd love to see the Nike-style bands become available separately, and in additional colors like bright orange, hot pink, neon blue, and more. It's a great style and not being able to expand it with more bands is a shame right now.
To keep the Nike Watch exclusive, they could always give it unique color options or a variant of the woven nylon.
Speaking of which, woven nylon debuted at last year's March event. So, in addition to new colors, we could also see new styles. Although Apple has a great range already, there are still several types of bands they've yet to tackle.
And, while they've thus far only been introduced in the fall, not spring, there's always the possibility of new partnerships.
What about new Macs?
Apple announced the 12-inch MacBook at the March event in 2015 and updated in in 2016. Could a 2017 update with Kaby Lake, Touch Bar, and Touch ID be in the works? It wouldn't do much to reduce the ultralight's price tag but it would bring it into technological alignment with the new MacBook Pro. Now if only Jet Black scaled to MacBooks...
Speaking of MacBook Pro, Apple's Mac roadmap is dependent, in part, on Intel's chipset schedule. Kaby Lake was announced last year but the specific versions Apple needs for the MacBook Pro weren't ready yet. If they are now, we could see spec bumps.
Same with iMac. It's already 5K and DCI-P3, but new chips would be nice, as would a Magic Keyboard with Touch Bar and Touch ID. Then there's Mac mini and Mac Pro, which have been out of date so long most online trackers have gone from red to a deep, sad, wine color.
Apple has said we'd get new Mac desktops, and March is the next big product window, so fingers crossed. Otherwise, it's six to five and pick'em whether we get anything early or have to wait until WWDC... or later.
Apple TV
Apple TV is no stranger to spring events. 4K and HDR are obvious upgrades at this point. Home hub functionality is every geeks fantasy as well. What Apple chooses to do with their set top box is a bigger question, though. Do they go for raw power, knowing it raises the price tag in a world with plenty of good, inexpensive streaming boxes and voice-powered speakers? Or do they try to do something more modular and, at least up-front, less expensive?
TV-deals aside — and I continue to believe solving for that internationally will not be easy — Apple has to decide not what they want to do in the living room, but what they can do.
For my money that's an updated Apple TV with a multi-personal Siri assistant.
What about the software?
We've got the betas for iOS 10.3 and the rest, so all the small new features coming this spring are already out there. If there's anything specific to the new hardware or services, we'll hear about it.
What do you want to see?
What do you most want to see from Apple in spring 2017? Let me know in the comments below!