Apple is hosting its Spring event, which is just two days away from now. The company will be going live with its “Spring Loaded” event at 10 AM PDT on April 20. While iPad Pro is one of the most likely announcements, the brand could announce a wide range of products. Apple could unveil its next iMax, AirPods Pro, AirTags, and more! Here’s what you can expect from the Apple Spring Loaded 2021 event.

New iPad Pro

Apple is likely to launch two iPad Pro models – 11-inch and 12.9-inch. As per the leaks and rumors, you shouldn’t expect a design overhaul. The company might shave off a couple of millimeters, but that’s about it.

The Cupertino giant is rumored to be working on its new mini-LED display-equipped iPad Pro. While the device is expected to come in two sizes, the 11-inch variant might stick with an LCD display, and you are likely to get a mini-LED panel on the bigger model.

A mini-LED display is essentially an LCD panel trying to be an OLED panel. A large number of Mini LEDs – where each diode measures 0.2mm or less – are used to light up the LCD panel. A mini-LED panel tries to emulate the good traits of an OLED panel but at a lower price tag. Therefore, you get deeper blacks, higher brightness, and improved contrast.

Further, the next iPad Pro is expected to bring a new more powerful processor that is said to be similar to the M1 Silicon introduced last year on the MacBook Pro 13, MacBook Air, and the Mac mini. If this comes true, you are looking at the most powerful tablets in the world. It is tipped that the chip is the A14X SoC, a variant of the A14 Bionic chip. Furthermore, this is speculated to allow Mac interoperability, which means you’d be able to run some macOS apps on the iPadOS.

As for connectivity, the upcoming iPad Pro could have 5G as well as a Thunderbolt port, which does everything a USB-C port can do, but a LOT faster. Your file transfer, charging and everything will be speedier. Moreover, it is made for driving high-resolution models and transferring heavy video signals. The 12.9-inch variant is most likely to come equipped with 5G antennas, and there is a possibility for this technology to extend to the smaller 11-inch model.

AirPods Pro 2

If rumors are to be believed, Apple is working on the next-gen AirPods Pro and could introduce it at its Spring Loaded event. The company is touted to make its earbuds more compact by eliminating the short stem that currently sticks out from the bottom. The AirPods Pro 2 is said to come with a more rounded shape to fill more of a user’s ear.

The upcoming earbuds could have the same 21mm thickness, while the height and length are said to be 46mm and 54mm, respectively. This means it could ensure a better in-ear fit and reduce the risk of the earbuds falling off from the ears.

However, according to previous reports, integrating noise-cancellation, wireless antennas, and microphones into a smaller AirPods Pro casing has proved challenging in the testing phase. As per another report, Apple’s AirPods Pro 2 could arrive in two sizes.

The upcoming earbuds are speculated to incorporate the in-house Apple W2 chip – the successor to the W1 chip, which can be found inside the standard AirPods and a few Beats headphones such as the Beats Solo 3 Wireless and the Beats PowerBeats 3 Wireless.

The W2 chip could enable a seamless pairing experience on the AirPods Pro 2. Plus, it might use a lesser battery for the same amount of tasks as the predecessor. It is still unclear what improvements the W2 chip inside the AirPods Pro 2 will bring to the table. Moreover, the AirPods Pro 2 is likely to cost the same as their predecessors ($249 / £249).

AirTags

Apple’s object tracker, AirTags is said to have been in development for quite some time now. It could finally see the light at the Spring Loaded event on April 20. The AirTags will reportedly be disc-shaped with an Apple logo at the center on one side.

According to the leaked images, the AirTags will have a round profile with a white paint job on one side, and a metallic finish on the other side with an Apple logo.

AirTags will use Bluetooth connectivity and an Apple chip inside to quickly pair with your iPhone or other compatible devices. You will be able to use it for checking the location information and track the devices they are attached to – which can be anything from a pet to a school bag.

It is rumored that AirTags will be accessible from the “Items” tab in the Find My app. This will be the destination where all your Apple devices and those tethered to the AirTags will appear. Once you get a notification that an item with an AirTag has been lost, you can cause it to play a loud chime so that you can locate it.

The AirTags will also reportedly come equipped with Ultra-Wideband (UWB) technology for spatial awareness that will make them more accurate compared to regular Bluetooth-based trackers. Apple might also employ its ARKIt on the upcoming object tracker.

iMac and Mac Pro with Apple Silicon

Apple is already tipped to be working on the new iMac and Mac Pro. Like the latest Macs, the upcoming devices will be powered by Apple’s in-house silicon. However, it is unclear if these will be based on M1 chip or Apple will announce another SoC.

As per a report, Apple is planning to launch two new iMacs. These will replace the existing Intel-powered 21.5-inch and 27-inch models. According to noted analyst Mark Gurman, Apple’s all-in-one computers will lose the thick bezels in favor of a cleaner design similar to the Pro Display XDR monitor. Moreover, the curved back is tipped to be tweaked to make it flat.

“The iMac redesign will be one of the biggest visual updates to any Apple product this year, according to people familiar with the company’s roadmap,” the report added.

The company is also looking to update its Mac Pro line of computers. One of the upcoming Mac Pro updates will continue to use the same design as the 2019 model. However, there could also be a second Mac Pro that will reportedly be half the size of the latest-gen Mac Pro.

“The design will feature a mostly aluminum exterior and could invoke nostalgia for the Power Mac G4 Cube, a short-lived smaller version of the Power Mac, an earlier iteration of the Mac Pro,” wrote Gurman.

A new MacBook Pro? Nah

While many are speculating that Apple will launch a new MacBook Pro, we say otherwise. According to a recent report, Kuo predicted that Apple’s two new MacBook Pro models will debut in the second half of 2021. This MacBook Pro could face a design overhaul and include an SD card slot. For the unaware, the SD card slot was part of the I/O on the pre-2016-era MacBook Pro.

Apple is reportedly working on refreshing both 14-inch and 16-inch variants of its MacBook Pro. The upcoming MacBook Pros are tipped to feature brighter, higher-contrast panels. Moreover, these could mark the return of MagSafe on laptops. The company is said to be bringing back its magnetic power adapter. It will allow the laptops to charge at a faster rate.

What would you like to see?

Did we miss something? Do you think Apple will launch more products other than the ones mentioned here? Let us know in the comments below!

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