In the latest edition of his Power On newsletter today, Bloomberg‘s Mark Gurman outlined his expectations for new Apple products this year.
Gurman reiterated that Apple is planning to launch a third-generation iPhone SE with 5G and a faster chip, a new iPad Air, and at least one new Mac powered by Apple silicon this spring, with an Apple Event likely to take place in March or April.
The new iPhone SE is expected to have the same outward design as the current model, including a 4.7-inch display with a Touch ID home button.
Japanese blog Mac Otakara recently reported that Apple is planning to release a fifth-generation iPad Air as early as this spring with similar features as the sixth-generation iPad mini, including an A15 Bionic chip, 12-megapixel Ultra Wide front camera with Center Stage support, 5G for cellular models, and Quad-LED True Tone flash.
Gurman expects Apple to launch a larger iMac powered by the M1 Pro and M1 Max chips this year, and he believes this computer will have iMac Pro branding and a similar design as the 24-inch iMac released last year. A high-end Mac mini configuration powered by the M1 Pro and M1 Max chips is also expected to be released this year.
Gurman said that Apple is planning a “big update” to the AirPods Pro later this year, with oft-accurate analyst Ming-Chi Kuo having previously claimed that a launch is planned for the fourth quarter of 2022.
Gurman and Bloomberg‘s Debby Wu have previously reported that Apple has tested a more compact design for the second-generation AirPods Pro that would eliminate the stems that drop below the earbuds. If this ends up being the final design, the new AirPods Pro could look similar to Apple’s Beats Studio Buds released last year.
Gurman and Wu also claimed the new AirPods Pro will feature motion sensors for fitness tracking capabilities alongside the Apple Watch.
According to analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, the new AirPods Pro will have a “significantly upgraded” wireless chip compared to the H1 chip in the current AirPods Pro. The chip powers audio-related functions like active noise cancellation, and improvements to this technology could result in improved battery life for longer listening time per charge. Kuo also expects the new AirPods Pro to support lossless audio available through Apple Music.
The new AirPods Pro charging case will be able to emit a sound to help users find it when misplaced, according to Kuo. It is likely that the next AirPods Pro will also have a water-resistant charging case, like the third-generation AirPods charging case.
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