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Apple CEO Tim Cook is tipped to launch a new iPad model, as well as iPhone SE and iOS 11.3
Apple is scheduled to hold its first press event of the year today in Chicago, Illinois.
The Cupertino-based company has invited media from across the globe to “hear creative new ideas for teachers and students”.
The keynote, which will be held at the Lane Tech College Prep High School, will purportedly focus on low-cost hardware for the education market, as well as designated software for the classroom.
Apple is also expected to roll-out its next major iOS update following the presentation.
iOS 11.3 includes a slew of improvements, including information on the health of the battery in your iPhone, new animoji, music videos in Apple Music, and the ability to sync your hospital’s records with the in-built Health app.
However, the headline announcement is likely to be the new 9.7-inch iPad.
Apple first introduced its new low-cost 9.7-inch model in March 2017.
APPLE
Apple has invited press to its first major media event of the year in Chicago, Illinois
The £339 model ditched some of the features of the iPad Air 2 which it replaced, including laminated and anti-reflective display technology.
The low-cost iPad, which can rise to £559 for a maxed-out cellular model with 128GB of storage, does not currently support Apple Pencil – one of the main differentiators of the iPad Pro range.
In a bid to strengthen its selling points and to differentiate it more from low-price Android tablets, the new low-price 9.7-inch iPad will likely support Apple Pencil
However, renown technology analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, who has a solid track record when it comes to predicting forthcoming hardware, believes the successor to the £339 iPad will introduce compatibility with the popular stylus.
“Strong demand for low-price 9.7-inch iPad in 2017,” the KGI Securities analyst wrote in an investors note, “iPad shipments hit 43.8mn units in 2017, well above the 35mn units forecast by the market at the beginning of the year.
“The primary driver was the low-price 9.7-inch model, whose selling points are competitive pricing and a significantly larger panel than those of six- to seven-inch smartphones (iPad mini was a flop because it was replaced by large-screen smartphones).
“In a bid to strengthen its selling points and to differentiate it more from low-price Android tablets, the new low-price 9.7-inch iPad (starting mass production in 2Q18) will likely support Apple Pencil.”
The invitation to the Apple media event in Chicago contains a hand-drawn illustration of an Apple logo, adding some weight to Kuo’s prediction.
However, it’s unclear whether Apple will include support for the existing Apple Pencil or introduce a new, more affordable version.
Apple Pencil support would help differentiate a low-cost iPad from Android-based competition, as well as Chromebooks, which have made inroads in the education market.
Previous rumours around the education-themed event suggest Apple’s new iPad could be priced as low as $ 259, some £185 converted.
Some sources suggest Apple will debut a new iPhone SE during its Lane Tech College Prep High School event, too.
The original iPhone SE was unveiled two years ago.
Apple used the phone to appeal to those who did not want to abandon the original four-inch display form factor used by the iPhone range before the launch of the larger iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus.
It was also a low-cost iPhone, something that makes it ideal for this latest Apple event.
Since the launch of the iPhone X last September, rumours have been gathering pace that a new iPhone SE with a major redesign is in the works.
Shortly after Apple launched the iPhone X, fans created mock-ups of an SE sporting the same full-screen display broken up by a notch.
And this month, footage has been shared social media that allegedly shows a working iPhone SE 2 model.
The leaked video was published on Chinese social media site Weibo and purportedly shows an iPhone SE 2 being unlocked by an unknown figure.
The video, which was first shared by BGR, shows the device being unlocked and the homescreen being swiped.
The veracity of the footage is unclear, but the clip also shows a dual-rear camera on the alleged iPhone SE 2.
If the iPhone SE ships with these iPhone X features, it is extremely unlikely to retain its budget price tag.
Apple was reportedly hoping to unveil a new low-cost MacBook at its Chicago event, however the hardware is purportedly not ready for the launch.
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Apple’s latest event is tipped to focus on low-cost hardware targeted at the education market
In a recent post on Bloomberg, reliable Apple pundit Mark Gurman said: “A new, cheaper MacBook laptop is in the works and likely destined to replace the MacBook Air at a price less than $ 1,000.”
Like the 12-inch MacBook, the new notebook is tipped to boast a pixel-packed Retina Display.
Apple never updated the MacBook Air with this technology, leaving the entry-level macOS notebook looking woefully outdated compared to Windows 10 rivals at the same price point.
However, Mark Gurman is not convinced that Apple will launch this new laptop at Tuesday’s event, adding: “It probably won’t be ready in time for next week.”
Apple’s March event takes place on Tuesday 27th in Chicago. It starts at 10am local time / 3pm GMT.
Express.co.uk will be at the “Let’s Take A Field Trip” event live, and will have all the announcements as they happen.
Stay tuned.
