Top Stories: Apple event rumors for March 23, iMac Pro and HomePod end, and more

Rumors of a potential Apple event are starting to heat up as we get closer to the time of year when Apple regularly hosts an event, so stay tuned for more information in the coming days and weeks.

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

Next Apple event rumors for March 23

March is a common month of the year for Apple to announce new or updated products, and this year is unlikely to be an exception.

A trusted Chinese leak, 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 trackers, a new iPad Pro with a Mini-LED screen, third generation. AirPods, and a new Apple TV. A wildcard feature is a redesigned iMac with an Apple silicone chip.

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

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

After Apple added a “while stocks last” notice to the iMac Pro product page late last week and removed all upgrade options for the computer, Apple confirmed to MacRumors that the iMac Pro will be discontinued when stocks run out. The computer is still available, but the delivery estimates are still a few weeks away.

Apple said that the latest 27-inch iMac launched in August is the preferred choice for the vast majority of iMac users and that customers who need even more performance and extensions can choose the Mac Pro. Of course, it may be worthwhile to exercise patience, as rumors suggest that Apple is working on a redesigned iMac with an Apple silicone chip to release this year, and the performance should be impressive.

Apple previously confirmed that the transition to Apple silicone across Macs will be completed by about June 2022.

Apple discontinues full-fledged HomePod to focus on HomePod Mini

The iMac Pro was not the only Apple product discontinued last week, and Apple also announced that the original HomePod was discontinued, with orders only available while stocks last. Apple says it will focus its efforts on the smaller and cheaper HomePod mini, which was launched last November.

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

Need to buy a super cheap refurbished iPhone from Amazon?

Amazon maintains a list of its best-selling products, and at the moment, the best-selling smartphone available from Amazon is a “renewed” iPhone 8 from Amazon, which regularly costs under $ 200.

It’s super cheap for a ‌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 refurbished iPhones to see if it’s worth the savings.

Amazon’s “Renewed” devices are all pre-owned and are not Apple certified, but Amazon says they have been professionally “inspected, tested and cleaned” by Amazon qualified vendors. Please note that iPhones come from different third-party providers and are not necessarily offered directly by Amazon.

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

According to reputed analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, Apple plans to release 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models powered by Apple silicone in the second half of 2021. Nikkei Asia report this week lends faith to that time frame.

In a report focused on Apple cutting off iPhone 12 mini-orders from vendors, the publication briefly noted that Apple pushed back 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 most likely it refers to the upcoming MacBook Pro models.

The second half of the year starts in July, so Apple’s suppliers should have enough time to increase production for a launch later in the year.

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

Kuo: Apple launches Mixed Reality Headset mid 2022 and Augmented Reality glasses by 2025

Apple plans to launch its long-rumored mixed-reality AR / VR headphones ‘mid-2022’, followed by augmented reality glasses by 2025, esteemed analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said this week.

Kuo has also looked far into the future, predicting that Apple will launch ‘contact lenses’ at some point after 2030. He said this product would bring electronics from the era of ‘visible computers’ to ‘invisible computers’, but there is no visibility. “for this product yet and he did not provide any further details.

According to Kuo, Apple is very committed to AR / VR technologies, which have a ‘positive view’ of Apple’s future in space.

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

Apple has filed a lawsuit against Simon Lancaster, a former employee who allegedly used his position in the company to steal “sensitive trade secret information” from Apple that was leaked to a journalist and published in rumors.

Lancaster worked at Apple for more than a decade, using his seniority to attend internal meetings and access documents that Apple said were “beyond the scope of his job responsibilities.” Details he obtained were published in media articles quoting “a source” at Apple.

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