According to 9to5Mac's Mark Gurman, Apple (AAPL +1.18%) is planning to host a product launch event in March. At this event, Gurman reports, Apple plans to show off a next-generation Apple Watch, with shipments said to begin in April.
Gurman says the new 4-inch iPhone, commonly referred to as the iPhone 6c, could also launch at this event.
That said, I don't think Apple would host an entire press event just for the Apple Watch and a smaller iPhone. Here's what else I expect (and perhaps hope) to see Apple launch at this event.
Can we get some new MacBooks, please?
Apple launched the 12-inch MacBook, as well as refreshed variants of the MacBook Air and 13-inch MacBook Pro, during its spring 2015 event. Given that most of Apple's MacBooks are all still using Intel's (INTC +4.36%) older Broadwell processors -- and the 15-inch MacBook Pro is even further behind the times, sporting even older Haswell processors -- these systems should be ripe for upgrades come March.
Intel is already producing processors based on its Skylake architecture appropriate for refreshes of the 12-inch MacBook, 13-inch MacBook Pro, and MacBook Air systems (should Apple keep these around), so upgrades to these systems seem a given at this point.
If Intel is able to produce Skylake processors with Iris Pro graphics in large quantities in support of an early 2015 refresh of the 15-inch MacBook -- and these should be quite large, fairly difficult-to-build processors -- then I'd expect this system to be refreshed as well.
If not, then I'd expect all if the MacBooks, save for the 15-inch Pro, to see updates, with the 15-incher getting a makeover a few months later.
Mac Pro is also well overdue for a refresh
Another Mac product in serious need of a refresh is the company's high-end Mac Pro computer. The current Mac Pro lineup uses Intel's Ivy Bridge-EP processor family, which is a generation behind what Intel currently sells.
Intel is expected to launch its next-generation workstation processor family, known as Broadwell-EP, during the first quarter of 2016. This would seem like an opportune time for Apple to update these systems to both new processors -- which should bring significant performance and efficiency enhancements -- and a new, more feature-rich platform.
Hey, how about the iPad Air?
In 2015, Apple updated both the iPad Mini and brought out an entirely new class of iPad, known as the iPad Pro. However, it didn't roll out a new iPad Air.
In a bid to boost iPad sales, I think there's a reasonable chance the company will refresh the iPad Air. The iPad Air 2 is still a strong 9.7-inch tablet offering, but there's certainly room to improve the device.
For one thing, it would be nice to see the A9X chip that's currently found inside the iPad Pro make its way into a device the size of an iPad Air.
Additionally, according to tests performed by website Display Mate, the iPad Air 2 has a display that's inferior to the ones found in both the iPad Mini 4 and the newly released iPad Pro.
Although the iPad Air 2's display is subjectively still quite nice, at least in this author's opinion, a better display -- coupled with other upgraded functionality -- could help persuade users of older iPads to finally upgrade.
