First Apple event of the year rumored for March 23rd: AirTags, AirPods, iPad Pro, Apple TV?

Multiple leakers this morning have suggested the idea of the March 23rd date for Apple’s next product event. Apple often holds spring events to announce new products, but it isn’t a guarantee. Depending on the year, Apple sometimes releases products simply via press releases, like last year with the 2020 iPad Pro.

The lines are blurred currently as ‘Apple events’ are all held virtually because of the pandemic, but the main difference between an event and press release announcements is the inclusion of a prepared scripted video presentation.

What’s expected for March 23rd? That remains somewhat unclear but there are persistent rumors surrounding AirTags, Apple’s competitor to the Tile tracker, new iPads and AirPods updates.

In the latest iOS 14.5 beta, Apple has enabled the Items tab in the Find My app for all users. This is a good indicator that Apple’s Bluetooth tracker product is imminent (following around two years of rumors that the product is in development). However, the Items tab will also be used by third-party accessories that integrate with the Find My network, so technically the two things are not inextricably tied.

We’ve also heard rumors about an update to the iPad Pro lineup, perhaps featuring upgraded screen technology and a faster A14X chip. Apple refreshed the iPad Pro last year with the addition of a LiDAR depth scanner, but the device was mostly unchanged otherwise.

There have also been leaks of new third-generation AirPods, which will adopt many of the features of their more expensive AirPod Pro siblings. However, it’s unclear if they are ready for launch this month.

Apple also ramped up speculation about this year’s Mac product lineup further last week, by discontinuing the iMac Pro. A radically redesigned iMac featuring thin bezels and Apple silicon internals is expected to be released sometime this year, with the discontinuation of the iMac Pro suggesting that will happen sooner rather than later. New 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models are also expected to debut in 2021, but that seems like something Apple would schedule for the fall rather than spring.