All About Apple’s New Release This March
Although not a textbook rule per se, Apple’s Spring events tend to see the Cupertino-based company release updates and refreshes to current product lines. Conversely, the keynote in the later half of the year brings more excitement with new iPhone launches that boast innovative and bold promises. Putting aside all the fanfare and hype, there is a list of products we think Apple might drop that we would absolutely adore.
Mac Mini
The Mac Mini, with its latest iteration being the 5th generation Apple Silicon, hasn’t received much love from Apple despite being a cult favourite. Announced in 2020, the Apple Silicon Mac Mini was widely considered to be a value-for-money entry-level workhorse. Powered by Apple’s M1 chip, the 2020 Mac Mini had an eight-core CPU that was versatile and reliable, making it a safe bet for anyone who needed the computing power of an iMac in a more portable form.
Fast forward two years and those specs on the 2020 Mac Mini no longer stack up as efficiently against current offerings. In Spring later this year, we fully expect Apple to launch a high-end version of the Mac Mini featuring the current line of M1 Pro and M1 Max chips seen in the Macbook Pro. On the technical side, the spec bump from these chips includes a 10-core CPU and potentially 16-core or 32-core options. As the smaller and sleeker cousin of the iMac, this refresh would bring it in line with the technical specs seen in current and future generations of Apple products while still retaining its core promise of mobility and versatility.
iPad Air
In 2021 we saw Apple release the new iPad Mini and refreshed iPad Pro, this begs the question – what about the iPad Air? Last updated in 2020, we think the iPad Air is due for an upgrade. The expected 5th generation iPad Air is likely to be vastly similar to the current 6th generation iPad Mini, with an A15 Bionic Chip, 5G connectivity as well as a 12-megapixel Ultra Wide front camera with Centre Stage support.
One huge boon of the iPad Air has always been the lightweight form factor that it provides, while not compromising on any screen real estate. Should Apple truly imbue the 5th generation iPad Air with the aforementioned spec bumps, this device will become the perfect mesh between the iPad Mini and Pro. We can’t wait to confirm our suspicions and get our hands on the 2022 iPad Air, especially if the rumours about its more affordable price point are true.
iPhone SE
On the topic of affordability, the other highly anticipated announcement we’re looking towards is the new iPhone SE. We expect the design of the SE to be relatively similar to the current suite of offerings, but it is inside the device that we hope to see vast improvements. The bare minimum for the new SE seems to be 5G connectivity, but we hope that Apple goes the full distance to install a new processor chip into the device. Given that the SE has always been the budget-friendly alternative to flagship iPhones, we don’t expect the latest generation A15 chipset on the SE. It just wouldn’t make sense fiscally for Apple to stock their top of the line chips in the 2022 iPhone SE, while attempting to keep prices affordable. The more reasonable ask would be a bump up to the A14 chip, from the current A13 chip found in the 2020 iPhone SEs.
Regardless, any upgrades would be a welcome change for the iPhone SE, as long as Apple continues down the path of pricing as the most budget-friendly iPhone on the market.
MacBook 13-inch
Finally, the MacBook 13-inch. Currently powered by the M1 chip, the 2020 MacBook 13, Apple’s potential release of the new MacBook 13 in Spring is definitely more of a refresh than an overhaul. Stylistically, rumours speculate that the 2022 MacBook 13 will sport the same design language as the current MacBook Pros. This means that the device will still keep the current Touch Bar while lacking a notch or ProMotion display technology.
We call this a refresh because although the externals seem to be similar moving forward, Apple is most likely going to replace the current M1 chip with a faster and more efficient M2 chip, currently in development. Relative to the suite of M1 Pro and M1 Max chips in the flagship MacBook Pros, the M2 chip is designed to be less powerful, striking a balance between price and utility. Fret not, as the M2 chip will have GPU improvements, featuring potential 9 and 10 core options available on launch.
Whether the releases in Spring are met with joy or disappointment, most of the products we discussed are way past due for an update. In that regard, we’re happy to see them get some attention. Apple’s main selling point has always been incremental leaps forward which all add up to change the course of tech history. We’re excited to see what Spring has in store, and we’ll have our calendars marked for March 8th when the keynote comes around.
Posted : June 14, 2022
A large part of what makes the iPad Mini so popular is its tiny frame combined with insane processing power. Apple knew their target demographic well when tweaking the specs for this recent release, and it really shows. Catered towards people working on the go, and creatives who spend a lot of time drawing and sketching for work, this 6th generation iPad Mini checks all the boxes for a powerful and portable tablet suited for work and play.
Apart from the changes to case material, the new design language of the iPad Mini 6 features a larger edge-to-edge screen, along with narrow borders and minimum bezel space. Although we’ve seen bezel-less devices from Apple for the better half of a decade, this is the first time the iPad Mini has gotten such an upgrade. In addition to looking much sleeker, this change is felt even more coupled with the new 8.3-inch Liquid Retina display with True Tone, P3 wide colour, and ultra-low reflectivity.
The end result is a gorgeous dynamic screen that makes the iPad Mini 6 a practical choice indoors and outdoors. Not to mention the support of Apple Pencil 2, which feels amazing on the low latency screen. All these facets add up to make a difference larger than the sum of each individual part, resulting in the new iPad Mini feeling like the perfect device for anyone wanting a portable and adaptable workhorse tablet.
Apart from the changes to case material, the new design language of the iPad Mini 6 features a larger edge-to-edge screen, along with narrow borders and minimum bezel space. Although we’ve seen bezel-less devices from Apple for the better half of a decade, this is the first time the iPad Mini has gotten such an upgrade. In addition to looking much sleeker, this change is felt even more coupled with the new 8.3-inch Liquid Retina display with True Tone, P3 wide colour, and ultra-low reflectivity.
The end result is a gorgeous dynamic screen that makes the iPad Mini 6 a practical choice indoors and outdoors. Not to mention the support of Apple Pencil 2, which feels amazing on the low latency screen. All these facets add up to make a difference larger than the sum of each individual part, resulting in the new iPad Mini feeling like the perfect device for anyone wanting a portable and adaptable workhorse tablet.
It wouldn’t be an Apple upgrade if they didn’t improve the camera capabilities on the device. If anything, that’s the least we expect from the tech giant’s annual keynote events. This time, the iPad Mini has received blessings in both the front and back cameras on the device. Boasting a 12MP camera on both the front and back of the 6th-Gen iPad Mini, this is a massive boon compared to the relatively sub-par 7 and 8-megapixel cameras on the respective front and back of the 5th-Gen iPad Mini. The newer Mini also has the ability to record in 4k and capture higher-quality images, courtesy of the new Smart HDR 3 function in the A15 Bionic chip.
Knowing that video calls are also more popular now than even in the time of COVID-19, Apple’s implementation of CentreStage for a more natural video call experience also feels like a natural feature to have as well.
A ton of well-deserved updates to the iPad Mini makes it feel right at home alongside Apple’s latest generation of tablets. If you’re still wondering if you should still get the new iPad, the make or break factor here really is the size and portability of the iPad Mini 6.
Historically, the Mini was always viewed as the cheaper and lower-spec cousin of the flagship iPad. Not this time – the iPad Mini 6 proves a worthy contender for the individual who’s constantly on the move, looking for an all in one device that fits comfortably in the palm of their hand.
