Top Stories: Apple Event Rumors for March 23rd, iMac Pro and HomePod Shut Down, & More

Rumors of a possible Apple event are starting to heat up as we approach the time of year when Apple regularly hosts an event, so stay tuned for more on that front in the coming days and weeks.

This week also saw Apple confirm that it has discontinued both the iMac Pro and the original HomePod, while rumors continue to look forward to new Apple silicone MacBook Pro models later this year, a mixed reality headset in 2022, augmented reality glasses by 2025. and maybe even some sort of augmented reality contact lenses by the 2030s. Continue reading below for details on these stories and more!

Next Apple event rumors for March 23rd

March is a common month of the year for Apple to announce new or updated products, and this year is likely to be no exception.

A reliable Chinese leaker known as “Kang” said this week that an Apple event is scheduled for Tuesday, March 23, with potential new products including Apple’s highly anticipated AirTags item trackers, a new iPad Pro with a mini LED. display, third-generation AirPods and a new Apple TV. A wildcard option is a redesigned iMac with an Apple silicon chip.

If the rumor is true, Apple should officially announce the event early next week. Due to the ongoing pandemic, the event is sure to become a virtual affair again with a pre-recorded video from Apple Park.

Apple confirms iMac Pro will be discontinued if supplies run out, recommends 27-inch iMac

After adding a “while supplies last” message to its iMac Pro product page and removing all upgrade options for the computer late last week, Apple confirmed to MacRumors that the iMac Pro will be discontinued when supplies run out. The computer will remain available for the time being, but the delivery estimates are several weeks away.

Apple said the latest 27-inch iMac launched in August is preferred by the vast majority of professional iMac users, and customers who need even more performance and expandability can choose the Mac Pro. Of course, it may be worth exercising patience as rumors suggest Apple is working on a redesigned iMac with an Apple silicon chip due out this year and the performance should be pretty impressive.

Apple has previously confirmed that the transition to Apple silicon for Macs will be complete by June 2022.

Apple Discontinues Full-Sized HomePod to Focus on HomePod Mini

The iMac Pro wasn’t the only Apple product to be discontinued last week, and Apple also announced that it has discontinued the original HomePod, with orders only available while supplies last. Apple says it will focus its efforts on the smaller and cheaper HomePod mini, which launched last November.

Apple had hoped the “HomePod” high-quality sound would give it an edge over competing products, but the “HomePod” sales have always been mediocre with so many more affordable options in the market. Apple sold the “HomePod” for $ 299, but it was originally priced at $ 350. The “HomePod mini” is available for $ 99.

Should you buy a super cheap refurbished iPhone from Amazon?

Amazon keeps lists of its top-selling products, and right now the best-selling smartphone available from Amazon is an Amazon “Renewed” iPhone 8, which is often priced under $ 200.

That’s super cheap for an iPhone, and cheaper than Apple’s own refurbished price for the same device, so in our latest YouTube video, we picked up one of these Amazon Renewed iPhones to see if it’s worth the savings.

Amazon’s “refurbished” devices are all pre-owned and not Apple-certified, but Amazon says they have been “professionally inspected, tested, and cleaned” by Amazon-qualified suppliers. Note that the iPhones come from various third-party suppliers and are not necessarily supplied directly by Amazon.

Two new Apple Silicon MacBooks are expected to go into mass production in the second half of 2021

According to renowned analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, Apple plans to redesign the 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models powered by Apple silicon and release them in the second half of 2021. Nikkei Asia This week’s report has given credence to that time frame.

In a report aimed at reducing Apple iPhone 12 mini orders from suppliers, the publication briefly noted that Apple cut mass production of the two new MacBooks from May or June to the second half of the year. The report refers to the notebooks as “MacBooks”, but it is likely that this refers to the upcoming MacBook Pro models.

The second half of the year starts in July, so there should be plenty of time for Apple’s suppliers to ramp up production for a launch later in the year.

Kuo expects the new MacBook Pro models will have brighter screens with Mini LED backlighting, a new design with a flat top and bottom, an HDMI port and SD card reader, classic MagSafe charging with a magnetic power cable and physical function keys instead of the Touch Bar.

Kuo: Apple will launch Mixed Reality headset in mid-2022 and Augmented Reality glasses by 2025

Apple plans to release its long-rumored mixed reality AR / VR headset “by mid-2022,” followed by augmented reality glasses by 2025, renowned analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said this week.

Kuo also looked far into the future, predicting that Apple will launch “contact lenses” sometime after 2030. He said this product will take electronics from the era of “visible computing” to “invisible computing,” but there is “no visibility.” for this product and did not provide further details.

Apple is committed to AR / VR technologies, said Kuo, who has a “positive outlook” on Apple’s future in space.

Apple accuses former employee of stealing trade secrets and leaking to media

Apple has hereby filed a lawsuit against Simon Lancaster, a former employee who reportedly used his position within the company to steal “sensitive trade secrets” from Apple, which was subsequently leaked to a journalist and published in rumored articles.

Lancaster worked at Apple for more than a decade, using his seniority to attend internal meetings and access documents that Apple said were “outside his job responsibilities.” Details he received were published in media articles that called “a ‘source’ at Apple.”

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