Apple may host its first event of 2021 on March 23

With the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, there’s an expectation that Apple is going to host digital events throughout the year (just like last year). And, as such, rumors have leaned towards a Spring event where Apple will finally get around to launching products rumored so often to launch in 2020.

Leaker iHacktu posted on Twitter (via DuanRui) recently that Apple is going to host its first event of the year soon. Specifically, the leaker believes that Apple’s first showcase of 2021 will take place on Tuesday, March 23. There were some initial rumors swirling around that the date could be March 16, but that apparently won’t be the case.

The original tweet notes that OnePlus, a manufacturer of popular Android devices, will host an event on the same date to launch their newest smartphone, the OnePlus 9.

Serial leaker Jon Prosser also tweeted out that the March 23 date is what he’s heard on the grapevine as well. Prosser follows that tweet up saying that Apple has a new iPad Pro, new Apple TV, AirTags, and AirPods ready to be announced:

But, what about Apple, right? What will the company get around to announcing at its first major event of the year?

The possibilities

As it stands right now, it remains unknown on an official level what Apple will get around to unveiling. However, there were plenty of rumored devices that were initially expected to see the light of day last year. Whether or not Apple will actually unveil them this year, at this event, remains to be seen, though.

AirPods

Apple was supposedly going to refresh the AirPods lineup in one way or another before the end of last year. The likeliest bet is a tweak to the design of the original AirPods. There are also rumors that AirPods Pro will get an update, too, but it’s not necessarily expected at the beginning of this year. Apple may wait until later this year to showcase that pair of truly wireless headphones.

Meanwhile, the revamped AirPods will reportedly have shorter stems, but won’t adopt the ear-tip design that AirPods Pro boasts. What’s more, it appears that Apple will change the design of the new AirPods case as well. There will probably be other changes to the formula, too.

AirTags

In February, there was a rumor that AirTags was still “on track” to launch sometime in March. And that will probably be the case. The rumor mill has not been quiet about these Tile-like tracking devices. And it’s about time Apple gets around to unveiling them.

The AirTags will be relatively small and circular in design. They’ll rely on the Find My app and service. Apple will even include a “Item Safety Feature” to make sure that AirTags can’t be used to stalk individuals.

iPad Pro

Apple refreshed the iPad Pro last year. However, that device doesn’t feature 5G and the new iPad Pro is expected to adopt that network feature with this variant. The new iPad Pro will feature the faster A14 Bionic processor as well, which Apple introduced with the latest generation iPad Air. Plenty of other changes are likely in store for the most powerful tablet in Apple’s lineup.

Whatever the case, it’s possible that the company’s first event of 2021 will be plenty busy. What new devices are you looking forward to seeing?