Apple's huge 2022 roadmap leaks: iPhone, iPad, Mac and more
New rumors suggest that 2022 may be a great year for Apple enthusiasts. After a comparatively slow 2021, it seems that Apple wants to hit the ground running in the new year by releasing several new products. We're looking at a possible launch of the iPhone SE with 5G connectivity, a new iPad, and possibly a new iMac or Mac Mini — and that's just in the first half of the year.
Part of the leak this week comes from Mark Gurman's Power On newsletter on Bloomberg, in which Apple's upcoming spring launch event's potential contents are discussed. Apple often holds these events early in the year, in March or April, and talks about its release plans for the rest of the year. We don't know when exactly the event will take place, but if Gurman is right, it should have an interesting lineup.
Considering Apple's latest developments, the new releases are shaping up to be even more exciting. The company had a highly successful 2021, with a massive revenue increase of 29% quarter-to-quarter — but that's in terms of Apple's financials. When it comes to new product releases, they were fairly scarce, but they do tick all the right boxes. The new MacBook Pros gathered excellent reviews and proved that Apple's new M1 Max and M1 Pro chips are a force to be reckoned with.
What exactly does Apple have in store for 2022? Will it keep on building on its highly successful M1 chip or will we have to wait for that to happen? Gurman, along with several other sources, reveals what we can expect from Apple this year.
Apple in 2022: iPhone and iPad bonanza
This is not the first time we're hearing that Apple may have a new iPhone SE in the works. We talked about the alleged 5G iPhone SE earlier in January. Gurman once again confirms his predictions that the new iPhone SE may be the gem that sets Apple's 2022 lineup for a good start.
iPhone SE is rumored to bring a much-needed upgrade that will bring it closer to competitor flagships: 5G connectivity. Considering that the SE is Apple's most budget-friendly device, bringing it up to 5G technology might just be the key to total market domination over Android, Reuters reports. The Gurman report also claims that the new iPhone SE will likely feature a faster processor, but in terms of design, it will look similar to the current SE.
The first half of the year should also see the release of a new iPad Air with an updated A15 chip, which is the same processor that is currently found in the iPhone 13. Customers waiting for the new iPad Pro may have to wait longer. Gurman expects a major revamp for the iPad Pro, meaning that Apple will likely release it near the end of the year.
These predictions are supplemented by an interesting finding from Consomac. Apparently, Apple has filed several new iPad and iPhone models into the Eurasian Economic Commission. The filings include the third-generation iPhone SE, fifth-generation iPad Air, and possibly more iPhones and iPads that we don't yet know about.
2022 may be the best year Apple has ever had
While these new iPad and iPhone releases are exciting enough, Apple is likely holding on to the big guns until the second half of the year. There are several reasons why Apple tends to keep the big-ticket releases until later in the year, and all of them make perfect sense.
Laying out the road map ahead of time gives Apple plenty of chances to show off the upcoming products before they ever hit the shelves. A huge part of any product release is driving the hype up and letting the customers see just enough sneak peeks to get them excited for the launch date. Financially, it also makes sense to hold out until the latter half of the year, with the upcoming holiday season driving up sales much more so than any other quarter.
According to Mark Gurman, Apple is readying its largest product lineup ever. We can expect to see four new iPhones, an entry-level MacBook Pro, the new Mac Pro (possibly with the M1 chip,) a refreshed iMac and MacBook Air, and some smaller accessories including new AirPods Pro, three new Apple Watches, a low-end iPad, and brand-new iPad Pros.
With such a mind-boggling list of products that could potentially hit the shelves later this year, 2022 may just prove to be the best year ever for Apple. It could also prove to be potentially much worse for our wallets.