The Apple logo is seen behind a pair of Apple iPad Pros on display in San Francisco, California, Sept. 9, 2015. (Photo : Reuters)
As reports emerged that Apple has moved its scheduled event from March 15 to 21, speculations further spike on the actual products that the tech giant plans to unveil. Apple watchers are convinced that the upcoming event will unpack the 4-inch iPhone 5SE, the iPad Air 3, some updates on the Apple Watch and a possible wild card revelation - the MacBook Pro and Air models to rollout this 2016.
But first, it is nearly confirmed that the March 15 new briefing is a no-go. Instead, Apple fans can just mark their calendars on the 21st as claimed by Re/code in a report. The publication said that the rescheduled event will see generally toned-down presentations, far removed from the usual fanfare that attends the company's annual iPhone introduction.
No reason was given for the delay though rumors are circulating that Apple got a little tied up with its tussle with the FBI.
iPhone 5SE or simply iPhone SE
As for the devices that will see the light of the day next month, the latest update from 9to5Mac indicates that a 4-inch iPhone remains of the focus of the March event and the device is most definitely sending the iPhone 5S to retirement. However, the handset will be simply called iPhone SE instead of the iPhone 5SE label earlier reported.
"It would make sense for Apple to position this device as simply the SE. Sources say that the dropping of the 5 from the name also simplifies the iPhone lineup as bringing back an iPhone 5 variant amid the iPhone 6 lifecycle could potentially confuse customers," the report said.
Next iPhone specs and pricing
But the smallest of the new iPhones is packed with rich features and powerful specs that the 4-inch device is nearly a clone of the iPhone 6S in terms of inside specifications. According to KGI Securities analyst Ming-chi Kuo, the iPhone SE will unbox boasting most of the specs and features first seen with its immediate predecessor save for 3D Touch.
Kuo, per a new report from MacRumors, claimed that the iPhone SE will draw its power from A9 processing chip, feature NFC-enabled Apple Pay, a 1642mAh battery pack, 16GB or 64GB storage options and a main camera that shoots with 12-megapixel sensor. While the SE form-factor will mostly remind of the iPhone 5S, "the display is said to have slightly curved 2.5D glass like the iPhone 6 and newer," the report said.
Yet the most welcome news provided by Kuo is the likelihood that even as the iPhone SE is a fresher and more powerful pack than the iPhone 5S, the latter will sell at a significantly cheaper sticker price. The next iPhone will retail starting at around $400, MacRumors said, which will be $50 lower from the current iPhone 5S price tag of $450.
Any MacBook Pro or Air uncloaking?
As for the MacBook 2016 models, speculations are rife that Apple plans to push out new Pro and Air models as early as June 2016 or coinciding with the WWDC 2016, which aligns with a recent report by DigiTimes from Taiwan that mass production of the OS X 10.12-powered notebooks will commence between March and April 2016.
Rumored to run on Intel Skylake, the upcoming batch of MacBook Pros and Airs are touted to begin rolling out before June, which somehow indicates that prior to the actual release date of the new machines, reported to launch in 12-inch, 13.3-inch and 15-inch configurations, Apple will make them public. And the March 21 event offers the best possible timing for such move.
