An Apple announcement is expected in March and rumors suggest the AirTag may finally be making an appearance, as well as an update to the iPad Pro lineup. The 2020 version of the iPad Pro was released last spring and has lost some value when compared to the iPad Air 4. A recap of what these new products may bring will help anyone interested in a new iPad, as well as those curious about Apple's new AirTag category of product.
Apple typically launches products in the spring and fall. March often sees updates to the iPad and sometimes new Mac computers. September usually brings the new iPhone, Apple Watch and often iPad and Mac computer updates, since the fall event is the biggest. Apple occasionally releases products in other months, so those dates aren’t set in stone. In 2020, the end-of-year event was split over three consecutive months, September, October and November, refreshing the iPad Air, introducing a new HomePod mini and AirPods Max headphones, and a big update to the iPhone.
The AirTag may be released in March, according to a tweet from Apple leaker Jon Prosser, who noted that no further delays were expected, along with a fingers-crossed emoji. The reason for the extra reassurance, tempered with an expression of uncertainty, is due to the repeated claims of the product's imminent arrival last year. The AirTag has been rumored and leaked by others, and Apple even filed patents that appear to be about this same product, so it certainly seems to be real. In a follow-up tweet, Prosser replied to a question about the iPad Pro, sharing that it will come in March as well. The AirTag is expected to be an improved item tracker that uses ultra-wideband technology to pinpoint location much more accurately than standard trackers. Prosser shared renders of a supposed AirTage last year.
Last year was, of course, the year the pandemic began to severely limit mobility, which is a key aspect of why a tracking product like the AirTag is needed, so delaying makes sense. Since traveling outside is currently cut to the minimum, the product would likely be more popular when travel restrictions are lifted. Perhaps that will come with the distribution of the vaccine and Apple may be anticipating that this is the right time to launch. There could also be an extra incentive due to Samsung’s release of the similar Galaxy SmartTag in January of this year. Apple’s solution may have more uses than simply being an object tracker, but so far it serves only to fuel the imagination.
The upcoming iPad Pro release seems more certain since the current model is a year old and the reason to purchase the high-end model is no longer as compelling when the lower-cost iPad Air 4 has many of the same specifications and capabilities. The 2021 iPad Pro is rumored to be the first Apple product to receive mini-LED backlighting, which should result in a significant improvement in brightness, contrast and black level, bringing it closer to the quality of the iPhone 12 screens. Naturally, the new iPad Pro will have a faster processor, likely to be an A14X, which would be a faster version of the A14 that powers the iPad Air 4, due to having more cores. Although it remains to be seen if the elusive AirTag will definitely make an appearance next month, new iPad Pro models should at the very least.
Source: Jon Prosser/Twitter
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