Featured Stories: Apple Event March 23, iMac Pro and HomePod Discontinuation, and More

Rumors about a possible Apple event are starting to mount as we approach the time of year when Apple frequently hosts an event, so stay tuned for more information on that in the days and weeks ahead.

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

Apple’s next event rumored for March 23

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

A trusted Chinese insider known as “Kang” said this week that an Apple event is planned for Tuesday, March 23, with potential new products, including Apple’s long-awaited AirTags item trackers, a new iPad Pro with a Mini display. -LED, third generation. AirPods and a new Apple TV. One wildcard possibility is a redesigned iMac with an Apple silicone chip.

If the rumor is accurate, Apple should officially announce the event early next week. Due to the ongoing pandemic, the event is sure to be another virtual event with a pre-recorded video of Apple Park.

Apple confirms iMac Pro will be discontinued when supplies run out and recommends 27-inch iMac

After adding a “while supplies last” notice 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 are exhausted. . The computer remains available for now, but delivery estimates are within several weeks.

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

Apple previously confirmed that its transition to Apple Silicon on Mac will be completed around June 2022.

Apple discontinues full-size HomePod to focus on HomePod Mini

The iMac Pro wasn’t the only Apple product to be discontinued over the past week, and Apple also announced that it had 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 that the high-quality sound of the calidadHomePod‌ would give it an edge over competing products, but the sales of the ‌HomePod‌ have always been lackluster with so many more affordable options on the market. Apple has been selling 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 on Amazon?

Amazon maintains lists of its best-sellers, and right now the best-selling smartphone available on Amazon is a “refurbished” iPhone 8 from Amazon, often priced below $ 200.

That’s super cheap for an ‌iPhone‌ and cheaper than Apple’s refurbished price for the same device, so in our latest YouTube video, we picked one of these refurbished iPhones from Amazon 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 vendors. Please note that iPhones come from various third-party vendors and are not necessarily provided directly by Amazon.

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

Apple is planning redesigned 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models powered by Apple’s silicon for launch in the second half of 2021, according to respected analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, and a Nikkei Asia This week’s report credited that deadline.

In a report focused on Apple cutting back on mini iPhone 12 orders from vendors, the publication briefly noted that Apple has delayed mass production of the two new MacBooks from May or June until the second half of the year. The report refers to the notebooks as “MacBooks,” but it is likely referring to upcoming MacBook Pro models.

The second half of the year begins 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 new MacBook Pro models to feature brighter Mini-LED-backlit displays, a new design with a flat-edged top and bottom, an HDMI port and an SD card reader, classic MagSafe charging with a power cord. magnetic and physical function keys instead of the touch bar.

Kuo: Apple will launch mixed reality headsets in mid-2022 and augmented reality glasses by 2025

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

Kuo also looked to the future and predicted that Apple will release “contact lenses” sometime after 2030. He said that this product will bring electronics from the era of “visible computing” to “invisible computing,” but that “it will not. there is visibility “. “for this product yet and did not offer further details.

Apple is very committed to AR / VR technologies, according to Kuo, who has a “positive view” about Apple’s future in the space.

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

Apple filed a lawsuit against Simon Lancaster, a former employee who allegedly used his position within the company to steal “confidential business confidential information” from Apple that was later leaked to a journalist and published in rumor 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 the scope of his job responsibilities.” The details it obtained were published in media articles that “cited a ‘source’ at Apple.”

MacRumors Newsletter

Every week, we publish an email newsletter like this one that highlights Apple’s top stories, making it a great way to get a short summary for the week that addresses all the top topics we’ve covered and piecing together related stories to a great image view.

So if you want news highlights like the summary above delivered to your email inbox every week, Subscribe to our newsletter!