Skip to main content

Apple eyes March 15 event for iPhone 5se, iPad Air 3 & Apple Watch updates

Apple is currently aiming to unveil the new 4-inch the iPhone 5se, the iPad Air 3, and new Apple Watch band options at an event on Tuesday, March 15th, according to sources. We previously reported that Apple was on track to launch the new products during the week of March 14th. As the scheduled event is still a month-and-a-half away, the date could conceivably still shift or turn into an online announcement. The media event would be Apple’s first since September, and much like the fall event, is planned to touch on three major product categories for the company.

As we revealed last month, Apple is planning to reinvigorate the 4-inch iPhone screen size by replacing the iPhone 5s with an iPhone 5se that includes an A9 chip, improved cameras, support for taking Live Photos, and Apple Pay. While the internals are revamped, the 5se’s externals nearly mirror the 5s’s save for “less shiny” and possibly slightly curved edges. The 5se will be priced the same as the 5s, according to sources, starting at $450 for 16GB. A 64GB model will also be offered.

The launch of the new iPad Air 3 will mark the first significant upgrade to Apple’s 9.7-inch tablet line since the Air 2 debuted in October 2014. The Air 3 is expected to include iPad Pro features like enhanced speakers and a Smart Connector, which could mean that a smaller Smart Keyboard is on the way. Unconfirmed drawings from case maker sources of the new iPad model also indicate the possibility of a rear-LED flash, and this addition would be a first for any iPad model.

Following up on September’s Apple Watch updates, this spring’s Apple Watch refresh will focus on new bands and software, according to sources. The new band lines will include multiple new colors for the rubberized Sport bands, new Hermès bands, a ‘space black’ version of the Milanese Loop, and an entirely new band line made of a new material. Supply chain sources indicate that Apple has been testing a series of “high-quality” NATO-style nylon bands for the Apple Watch, but we have not confirmed that this is indeed the new line launching in March.

Update – February 27: Apple has pushed the event back a week to the week of March 21st, according to reports.

Image via Getty Images

FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.

You’re reading 9to5Mac — experts who break news about Apple and its surrounding ecosystem, day after day. Be sure to check out our homepage for all the latest news, and follow 9to5Mac on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn to stay in the loop. Don’t know where to start? Check out our exclusive stories, reviews, how-tos, and subscribe to our YouTube channel

Comments

  1. Tom Austin - 8 years ago

    SURELY this ‘5se’ name isn’t going to actually happen.

    • PMZanetti - 8 years ago

      By all accounts, the product is an enhanced version of the 5s. A 5se, you might say.

      • o0smoothies0o - 8 years ago

        No. It’s a version of the iPhone 6. A smaller version. They didn’t call the iPhone 6 Plus the iPhone 5se, and all it is is a larger iPhone 6, so why call a smaller iPhone 6, the iPhone 5se? Other than to confuse customers and have a decidedly horrible name.

    • Seth Weintraub - 8 years ago

      That’s what they said about the enhanced version of the GoatS

      • taoprophet420 - 8 years ago

        If it has the rounded glass edges of the 6 and 6s why not call it the 6c? Just because it shares the size of the 5, why should it be called the 5se? Especially if it has an a9 inside of it.

        I really don’t understand the tragedy audience. The Chinese and Japanese want the larger screens for handwriting. Will a 4″ iPhone do well in India. When Apple shrinks the top and bottom bezel and get a 4.7″ device the size of LG G2 Mini or other 4.7″ phones that are s Iliad in size to a 4″ iPhone it makes little sense for a 4″ model.

        If Apple ditches the home button and phone jack and shrink the bezel on the iPhone 7 a new 4″ model makes no sense to me. If you can make a. 4.7″ screened phone with nearly the same footprint as the iPhone 5 why release anoth 4″ model? It didn’t make sense to me last summer when the 6c was rumored and doesn’t make sense to me now.

      • Videep Mishraa - 8 years ago

        You mean, iPhone 6 minus?

    • cdm283813 - 8 years ago

      Personally I don’t think it will do well what ever you call it. A 4″ screen is just too small nowadays. I was at my sons wrestling meet this pass weekend and I saw moms rocking nothing but plus models vs my smaller 6s. And I’m damn near twice the size with large pockets.
      I like options but this new iPhone won’t be anything special.

      • Robert - 8 years ago

        The media will take this view. They will say the data indicates everyone wants a bigger phone. Some will mock Apple for making a smaller one.

        However, many that bought the bigger phone can’t wait to go back. Those that wanted a new generation device have had no choice but to buy the bigger phones. This is the first time we will really get to choose. So the existing data is misleading.

        Personally, I think the best selling device over the next 4 years will be a tight race between the 4 inch and 5.7 inch. Especially since the 4 inch will also hit a lower price point.

      • PMZanetti - 8 years ago

        Who are you make such a claim? A 4″ screen is just as useful as it was a few years ago when it was your only option. You just PREFER the new larger screens, and somehow that makes you incapable of understanding that not everyone does.

        It is not hard to find users saying they still want a 4″ iPhone. Many have maintained that since the 6 launch in 2014.

        Just the fact that Apple has put considerable effort into making this new entry at the 4″ size should tell you exactly how popular that size/tier still is. They know wtf they’re doing.

      • joyunrestrained - 8 years ago

        I totally agree. I recently purchased a 6S because my 4S was becoming so slow with iOS 9, but in truth I find it a real inconvenience. It is too big to fit easily into my pocket like the 4S did and I miss that aspect of the 4S a lot.

        The only thing I like about the 6S is the much better battery life, so I hope they can achieve at least as good a battery life in the smaller 5-sized form factor.

        Other things about the 6S I don’t like include the position of the sleep/wake button – it is so fiddly to use it without pressing one of the volume buttons at the same time. Having that button on the top of the 4S was a much better position for it. Also I find no use for Force Touch – it is more a nuisance than anything else.

        So if they do bring out a 6c (SURELY they won’t call it a 5? That would be a big mistake IMV) I will be first in line for one and will sell off my 6S or give it to another family member.

      • Brett O'Donnell - 8 years ago

        I guess it depends on your definition of “do well” is. Will they sell 75 million of these in the first quarter after its release? Definitely not. Will there be steady demand from those still sporting iPhone 5s, 5, 5c or earlier phones who opted not to upgrade previously because they didn’t want a “giant phone” and budget conscious consumers that have found the price increases (outside the US due to exchange rate changes) for top of the line model a bit much? Most likely. I think this is a smart move by Apple to capitalize on pent up demand for a new smaller iPhone during the time of year where iPhone sales are traditionally slower.

      • suchkunt - 8 years ago

        I see a 4″ iPhone the same way I saw old GSM phones. I went from indestructible nokias, to color feature phones, to pre-iphone smartphones, to finally end up with an Ericsson T600 and finally a Haier Black Pearl. Basically I want to have a phone on me but i don’t want to have all my pockets full.

        So a 4″ iPhone for me (with the slimness of the iPhone 6 for example) is a way to get back to the super-compact phone I always wanted while still maintaining all the smartphone conveniences.

      • Greg Kaplan (@kaplag) - 8 years ago

        there are 3 reasons why moms would like that. 1. aging eyes. 2. they have a purse to toss it in 3. they might not want an ipad and it covers that.

        As a young man with good eyes and an ipad, I have absolutely no reason to want to sacrifice one handed use or make my pockets bulky.

        That’s awesome that we can have different needs and that maybe soon there will be an iphone that fills my needs. I wouldn’t count on moms as being a sure tell sign that the 4″ screen is dead though.

      • Tk Hodges - 8 years ago

        Can I just say this is awesome for me! I am a nurse and the Iphone 4 fits perfectly in my pocket at work. I have wanted an Iphone 6 but it is just to big to carry at work. I am thrilled I will be able to upgrade my phone finally without losing my ability to keep it with me on the floor.

  2. PMZanetti - 8 years ago

    Still seems like there is uncertainty over the exterior casing of the 5se. I just hope the chamfered edges are gone. Single worst design in iPhone history. After two days with a 5 series and no case, the chamfered edge is dinged to hell with bare raw metal exposed. A 6 series on the other hand…not even the slightest scratch or scuff after months of no case.

    • Mustafa Çağdaş Çizer - 8 years ago

      weirdly; I have more scratches on my iphone 6+ without case than my 5 ever had:D both devices never saw a case, never dropped.

      • RP - 8 years ago

        The 6 series is the least Apple-like iPhone. Badly conceived and certainly the ugliest iPhone ever released.

    • rafaelclaycon - 8 years ago

      If you’re talking about the iPhone 5, that model is known to be a ding magnet since it launched. I have been using the 5s for more than a year now, every day, many days without a case, and see no dings at all on the chamfored edges.

    • suchkunt - 8 years ago

      Having gone back to a 5S from a 6 and 6s Plus I can say with certainty that despite the bevels, the 5S is a really classic, timeless design. As far as I am concerned it is the epitome of iPhone design. 4S and 5S will be remembered for years.

    • Greg Kaplan (@kaplag) - 8 years ago

      I think the mistake is the material and not the shape. Aluminum is too soft to maintain those hard edges. My stainless steel 4s looks amazing still.

      I really wouldn’t be surprised if Apple ever released an iphone that had the same edition model as the watch. I would totally splurge on a stainless steel version again.

  3. dksmidtx - 8 years ago

    So – basically a two product event – how in hte owrld can you justify calling watchbands a “third product” – barely merit being an accessory.

    • PMZanetti - 8 years ago

      “a two product event”, the two of which will sell combined tens of millions of units and generate billions in revenue.

      Not too long ago Apple was holding “One product events” that barely sold a fraction of what the 5se alone will sell.

  4. Vijaya Ram - 8 years ago

    What about Macbook’s? do you have any info from sources?

  5. Vijaya Ram - 8 years ago

    what about MACbooks?

  6. cdm283813 - 8 years ago

    Guess Apple doesn’t like Alphabet becoming number 1 last night.

  7. Surely this can’t be the whole event? I sure hope we get MacBook announcements too.

    • Robert - 8 years ago

      The indications are that MacBooks are not ready. This would be a very light event. Either it won’t happen or Apple has a surprise up it’s sleeve.

  8. Yawn. If this is true, the event will be boring as hell.

  9. RP - 8 years ago

    I certainly hope they include force touch and all of the features of the newest iPhones. And I certainly hope it’s as stylish a gadget as the iPhone 5s. Because why get a new phone if it’s not up to date, or like the iPhone 6 , an uglier.device than the 5s.

    I really want to buy the 5se but Apple needs to give customers plenty of reason to “up”grade

    • Greg Kaplan (@kaplag) - 8 years ago

      I wish it would be true too. My hopes are low for this phone though. At least for now… This gives me hope that the 4″ form factor isn’t dead. That this device is there to be the staple iphone and maybe there will be a more impressive 4″ in the future.

  10. nickman55 - 8 years ago

    I love 9to5Mac’s “cover all possible outcomes” method of reporting… “Apple is currently aiming to unveil the new 4-inch the iPhone 5se, the iPad Air 3, and new Apple Watch band options at an event on Tuesday, March 15th”

    Followed by “… the date could conceivably still shift or turn into an online announcement.”

    By adding that second part, 9to5Mac can’t be wrong with their reporting. Let’s say that Apple doesn’t have an event that day (and never planned to in the first place), 9to5 is still correct in their reporting because they are basically saying “Apple will have an event on March 15th… or they won’t”.

    This kind of reporting is no different than the “analysts” saying for 8 straight quarters that an Apple HDTV was going to be released, only to blame “production issues” when nothing appeared. It doesn’t matter that Apple never had plans to release an HDTV, the analysts just needed to cover their own butts by shifting the blame to something other than themselves.

    • Jassi Sikand - 8 years ago

      This is an intelligence site. Not necessarily a fact site. They’re reporting the currently thought date while acknowledging that this is based on rumor and I call that responsible reporting. This is different than your analyst comparison because 9t5 is a reporting site, not an organization that actually decides the calls themselves.

  11. Abram Winter - 8 years ago

    why would the iPhone go backwards?

  12. dgmfield - 8 years ago

    I imagine the “new” iPhone 5 is for the India market. Surprised that the MBPs are not mentioned.

  13. Justin Flood - 8 years ago

    My biggest issue with the iPhone 5se, is not that they are making it, but that they are giving it it’s own announcement. They are going to have to be very careful in the way they announce this phone, so that people who don’t follow iPhone news closely don’t think this is the latest and greatest iphone. You are going to see a lot of dumb people going out and buying this “new” iPhone, and then getting pissed when the iPhone 7 gets released a couple of months later.

    • That does seem quite an interesting problem; just how to communicate this thing. Almost feels like it would be easier to do a lower key press release.

    • Greg Kaplan (@kaplag) - 8 years ago

      It’s a little easier since it’s a different screen size. There is, on a very basic level, the notion that bigger is better. That this phone is smaller automatically makes it not the best. Though some people do value the small size.

      It’s why crappy large android phones sold so well. A big shiny screen looks good to a small one. It’s not until months of using it that you may or may not realize it’s a pain in the ass to hold and use.

      But I agree. It seems like it will be a really weird announcement. Here is this phone that is just kinda an updated 5s. How the rumors sell it just feels off. Like how do you paint a picture around this product. They can talk about how they shrunk an iphone 6 and how impressive that is…. but then it draws attention to the 6 internals. Maybe it’s just really brief. They just tell it like it is and move on because I don’t think this phone is meant to call attention. I think it’s just meant to fill a price point and not be total shit.

  14. I hope Apple doesn’t just make new apple watch bands I hope they make the new line up because the watch could use some upgrades to increase the functionality.

  15. sally (@FedGoat) - 8 years ago

    5SE = 4″ that “looks” like a 6 but will only get a processor upgrade and a price upgrade to $599 for 16GB $649 for 64GB

  16. michaelecurry - 8 years ago

    5se? I can’t see them using that name – 6c seems way more appropriate.

    • Greg Kaplan (@kaplag) - 8 years ago

      To the people who wanted a smaller phone the 5s represents the last good iphone. The 6 represents the first time apple gave up on that form factor and forced people to go larger. The c part of it makes no sense. The 5c was a carbon copy of the 5 but plastic. That means a 6c would also be a 4.7″ device.

      They kinda screwed themselves over with giving the colored iphone line a number. They should have just called it “iphone color” and people wouldn’t have given it shit by comparing it to the 5s. Then calling this next 4″ the iphone color 2 would make sense if this were another colored plastic phone – but it’s not.

      “iphone mini”, sans any numbering makes the most sense to me. It represnts a new line that’s based on the form factor and not on the specks that are in it. People wouldn’t be as likely to compare it to the 6s or 5s in features.

      But if apple gives it a number, going with the lower number with some added letter thing kind makes sense from a marketing perspective.. it frames it as being better than the 5s vs being worse than the 6s. And that was the issue the 5c had. It was the 5s but worse. The 5se naming says it’s the 5s but better. The 6 is a whole other thing that if you care about the 4″ screen that you don’t even care about.

      that’s my 4 cents on the name and story around it. It’s pretty weird but still makes sense.

      • modeyabsolom - 8 years ago

        The ‘c’ in 6c could stand for compact. As its a smaller iPhone than the 4.7″ 6s.

  17. suchkunt - 8 years ago

    Actually pretty excited about the new 4″ iPhone. Downgraded to the 5S from the 6S Plus because of the more secure grip and i don’t regret it.

  18. jamess109 - 8 years ago

    Crap lineup for one event! Maybe the Macbook/Air/Pro too would be worth an event. After all the 5se is gonna be a dumbed down iphone 6s at 4″.

  19. Almost 60% of people who bought a 5 or 5s have not upgraded. Why—could it be they like being able to reach across the entire screen with one hand? Could it also be they don’t want something the size of a paperback (6)/baseball mitt (6s) in their pocket/purse.
    From a visual straw poll while traveling each morning across the Tokyo subway, I’d ‘guesstimate’ more than 50% of iPhone users here are still on the 5/5s. Why—because Asians have small hands.
    If Apple launches a 4″ updated iPhone, these people will flock to it. Me included. It makes sense for Apple not to leave this part of the market on the table for the competition.
    On a related subject, a lot of my corporate customers are starting to comment that the iPhone is becoming far too expensive to deploy to employees. While part of this high cost is down to excessive data charges by Japanese mobile carriers, a lower-cost, smaller iPhone would appeal to these companies too.

  20. Richard Chopp - 8 years ago

    Just tell me whether the 5se is gonna have 2gb of Ram like the 6s A9, if so im sold.

  21. Richard Chopp - 8 years ago

    Will it have 2gb of Ram like the 6s A9? God i hope so

  22. Trev Page - 8 years ago

    iPad Air 3 prices outside the US are going to go up due to the strong dollar. Ouch.

  23. xztraz - 8 years ago

    Hidn.Tempo Is another interesting watch band option for the apple watch. It includes a stress sensor (gsr) that apple didn’t include in the final product and some clever software to help overcome stress. https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/997319663/hidn-tempo-a-wearable-stress-coach/

    • modeyabsolom - 8 years ago

      Clicked on your link, an interesting product from that latest global tech centre – Sweden! But there is no mention on the intro video about it being compatible with the Watch.

  24. Kyle Bergeron - 8 years ago

    So, if its a smaller version of the 6, but in the form factor of the 5, why not call it a iPhone 6 Minus :) to keep in terms with what they have

  25. Neil Haj (@313thBrigade) - 8 years ago

    The Iphone 5se will cement Apple’s domination over the world’s political powers. They will reign with an iron hand that will impress Kim Jong Un and the republic of North Korea (i.e. the nation state equivalent
    to the short bus)

  26. Bobby Brown - 8 years ago

    I hope apple ceo surprises us in the end of keynote by saying we will also add 3d touch to 5se!! if only

  27. If apple includes the pressure sensor along with others in this smaller iteration this will officially be my first iphone

  28. If apple includes the pressure sensor (barometer) in this new smaller model this will officially be my first iphone

  29. Robin Gorsky - 8 years ago

    I would like to see a new Macbook Pro…any word on this happening

  30. Kelly Ann - 8 years ago

    This would, to me, who HATED the iPhone 6 b/c it was so big it would never fit in any of my pockets, so I returned it and went back to my 5s, but why oh why would you update everything but the CAMERA?!?!!!?!?! I mean come on now! Apple update the camera, and I will so buy this phone, happily.