By: Nick Gambino
Apple has announced a special event scheduled for April 20th where they are expected to unveil the newest iPads. The event, promoted with the tagline “Spring Loaded,” puts to bed the question of whether or not we’d get a spring event in 2021.
As with all Apple events, the company is keeping everything under wraps, but the tech industry isn’t as big as it appears, so we have an idea of what we’ll see.
A strong case can be made that they’re going to unveil the new iPad Pro. We expect the new pro tablet to sport a mini-LED display. If this proves out, this will be the first of the Apple lineup to feature this new technology.
Mini-LED is being used in place of OLED thanks to its ability to offer increased brightness and better power efficiency. The rumor suggests we’ll see it first introduced in the 12.9-inch iPad Pro followed by the 11-inch and possibly the MacBook Pro.
There’s no hint that we’ll see much more from the new iPad. It’ll probably look similar to last year’s design but with an improved processor chip.
Staying on the iPad front for a moment, it seems we might also get a new iPad Mini with an 8.4-inch display and slimmed-down bezels.
If you’re looking for something “new new” then you might get your wish. Apple may release the long-rumored AirTags. These little tracker devices are a lot like Tile trackers but seamlessly integrate with iOS.
Attach an AirTag to your keys, wallet, remote control or anything you’re prone to misplacing and you’ll be able to find it with ease. They will most likely rely on Find My Phone for tracking instead of building out a whole new app.
While the iPad Pro is almost certainly getting announced next week, AirTags are a little less certain. There’s also rumors swirling that we might see new AirPods and MacBooks. Though these are unlikely.
The special event will be held virtually on April 20th at 10am PST. That’s 1pm for us east coast folks. You can watch it on the Apple website, YouTube or the Apple TV app.
