Photo: Hadrian (Shutterstock)
It’s always hard to know when the right time is to buy new tech. It feels like something new is always around the corner, but it only comes out after you drop some cash on a now-obsolete paper weight. Luckily, this is your alert, your red flag, your sign from God to not buy these Apple products today. Why? Because the company is likely about to announce upgrades to them all, tomorrow, March 8.
Now, a caveat: The following are all rumors. Sure, when we’re one day out from an Apple event, rumors tend to be pretty accurate. However, nothing is set in stone. You might wait to buy something because of this article, only for Apple to not announce its successor tomorrow. In that case, I’m sorry! Still, it’s good tech practice to wait until after a confirmed event with reputable rumors before making any big purchases.
A big however here is Apple does have a solid return policy for its items. If you do buy something today (or tomorrow), only to see a new or improved version announced, you have two weeks from the date of purchase to return your item. But it’s much simpler, if you can avoid it, to just wait and see. Apple will happily take your money, whether it’s for yesterday’s MacBook or tomorrow’s.
iPad Air
When the current iPad Air launched, it was easy to recommend. Apple updated its mid-tier tablet with the edge-to-edge display of the iPad Pro, with a super-fast A14 chip and fun colors you couldn’t get on any other iPad.
Unfortunately, the Air didn’t remain such a shoo-in for long. The base iPad, while sporting an older design language and a chip one generation behind, cost about half that of the Air. If the cheapest iPad didn’t do anything for you, Apple’s iPad mini might, since it sported the same design as the Air with a chip one generation newer for $100 less.
All that said, maybe you’re thinking about picking up an iPad Air, perhaps for the larger display over the mini, or for one of its unique colors. Don’t. Apple is posed to refresh the Air with some much needed upgrades, including the A15 Bionic chip (possibly slowed to the same speeds as the mini), 5G, Center Stage (made possible by the 12 MP Ultra Wide front camera), rear camera flash, and—most important of all—a purple color option.
iPhone SE
The iPhone SE is, arguably, the perfect iPhone. It’s cheap, by Apple’s standards, and includes all of the essential features you’d need in an iPhone. Apple released the original back in spring 2016, and allowed rumors about its successor to churn and circulate for four years (I can’t count how many articles I wrote about this damn phone).
The current SE is now two years old, and, while still a good buy, is about to be replaced. Apple is rumored to be launched a new iPhone SE tomorrow, with big upgrades like 5G, the A15 Bionic chip, and refreshed cameras. One thing likely not to change, however, is the overall design: The SE 3 should still sport a Home button, with large bezels on top and bottom of the device. While that might come as a disappointment to some, I kind of love it. Since the first iPhone’s release back in 2007, there has always been a Home button in Apple’s smartphone lineup.
iPhone 13
If you were hoping to see the iPhone 14 at this Apple event, I’m sorry to say, it ain’t happening. Apple only refreshes its main iPhone lineup in the fall, opting instead to use its spring events for smaller releases like the iPhone SE.
However, before you go buying an iPhone 13 today in protest, you should know Apple is rumored to be introducing a new color to the 13 lineup—GREEN. This rumor is brand new, so we’ll see if it’s actually true. However, if you wanted a bit more green in your tech life, and you want a new iPhone, you could sit tight until tomorrow’s announcement.
13-inch MacBook Pro
The 13-inch MacBook Pro used to be the standard for Apple’s smaller professional laptop. However, with the 14-inch MacBook Pro, things got a bit more complicated. That machine is truly pro, with a pro starting price of $2,000, making the 13-inch MacBook Pro more of a device for those looking for a slight step-up above the MacBook Air.
Not much is likely to change this year, except for one important thing—Apple is rumored to replace the M1 chip in the current 13-inch with the M2. This second-gen Apple silicon chip shouldn’t be confused as a successor to the M1 Pro or M1 Max chips. The M2, rather, is the successor to the M1. While its CPU will likely stay the same, it’ll offer up to nine or 10 GPU cores, an upgrade from the seven or eight GPU cores offered in the M1.
Intel Mac mini
If you just bought a new, M1 Mac mini, you don’t need to kick yourself. For one, you can always return it within the two-week window, but the M1 mini isn’t Apple’s focus here. Instead, the company is likely to upgrade the higher-end Space Gray Intel mini with M1 Pro and M1 Max chips, as currently found in the newest MacBook Pro models. With that, will likely come additional RAM options; the M1 Macs are all capped at 16 GB of RAM, while M1 Pro and M1 Max chipsets offer up to 64 GB.
A/V aficionados might know the Intel Mac mini features more port options than the M1. Rumors say the M1 Pro/Max Mac mini will carry over those ports, including four Thunderbolt, two USB-A, one Ethernet, and one HDMI port. In addition, the unit will see a substantial design refresh, going with a plexiglass top with a dual-tone color finish.
Pro Display XDR (if you’re looking for a cheaper option)
Apple’s Pro Display XDR is an excellent display. It’s also expensive. Since many of us in the ecosystem want a good Apple display that doesn’t cost an arm and a leg, it makes sense the company is rumored to unveil a new, cheaper external display tomorrow. The 27-inch monitor wouldn’t include the mini-LED technology found on the Pro Display XDR, but MacRumors guesses it would only (only) cost $1,000, compared to the Pro Display’s $4,999 starting price. I’d take that trade-off.
[MacRumors]
