Budget-friendly 5g iPhone looks to be on the cards

Updates to Apple’s products expected

Apple is set to unveil a new round of products later on Tuesday at a livestreamed event, and rumours are flying about what to expect.

The first event of 2022, Peek Performance, kicks off at 6pm Irish time, and is expected to show us some exciting updates to Apple’s products.

A low-cost 5G iPhone

The current second-generation iPhone SE has plenty of fans, but one thing it’s missing is the ability to support 5G networks. That’s not all that surprising, given that the last version of the SE was released in 2020; Apple’s first 5G enabled iPhone was the iPhone 12, which was announced several months after the second-generation iPhone SE.

The strong rumours about Tuesday’s event is that Apple will unveil a 5G-enabled iPhone SE, giving people a more budget-friendly option for next-gen networks. The new phone could also feature the A15 Bionic chip, if rumours are to be believed, with storage options starting at 64GB .

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There could also be a design change, with speculation that the iPhone SE third generation could look more like the iPhone 13 Mini.

An updated iPad Air

The fourth-gen iPad Air, released in 2020, looked like it has more in common with the iPad Pro than the standard iPad. That line could be aboiut to blur even further, if the rumours pan out.

Apple is expected to debut a new iPad Air at Tuesday’s event, and it could not only feature 5G connectivity but also be powered by an M1 chip. Website 9to5Mac is claiming the new iPad Air will have the same chip as the 2021 iPad Pro, which would make it 50 per cent faster than the A15 Bionic chip people had expected.

The move, if it happens, will make the iPad Air much more attractive as a replacement for a desktop than before.

And given the inclusion of Centre Stage in the iPad Mini camera, it’s highly likely that the new iPad Air will also include the feature.

New Macs - or a chip upgrade

Could we be about to see a new Apple chip? Some think Apple may give us a peek at the M2, which means new Macs could also be on the agenda. Among the possibilities are an updated MacBook Air, iMacs and potentially a new Mac Mini.

Tune in on Apple.com, or through the Apple events app on Apple TV.

Ciara O'Brien

Ciara O'Brien

Ciara O'Brien is an Irish Times business and technology journalist