Apple is bucking the ongoing components shortages by making 2022 the year it releases the biggest lineup of products in the company’s history.
According to well-placed reports, the tech giants is planning to unleash four new iPhones, including a budget version, as well as budget versions of the MacBook Pro and iPad, three Apple Watches, new MacBook Airs and iMacs, new Mac Pro and AirPods Pro, and iPad Pros.
Phonewise, Apple is expected to announce the budget 5G iPhone SE in March, ahead of the iPhone 14, iPhone 14 Pro, and iPhone 14 Pro Max, which are expected in September.
The iPhone SE will sport the same 4.7-inch display as the 2020 model, but with a A15 chipset with 5G and the same 12MP primary sensor at the iPhone 13.
The iPhone 14s are expected to sport a new A16 chip, with a 48MP main camera and a new periscope shooter.
Apple is also working on a new entry-level iPad, according to tipster Mark Gurman.
“The iPad Air hasn’t been updated since the end of 2020. I’d say a new version of that product also is possible,” Gurman wrote.
It is expected to sport the same A15 chip from the iPhone 13. The iPad Pro is also likely to see a chip update, with the new in-house M2 processor, and wireless support.
Interestingly, Apple is looking to compete in the ChromeBook space, with a low-end MacBook Pro, which will come with a 14-inch screen and an M2 processor. Also expected is a new M2 MacBook Air.
The company also has plans to bring “the M1 Pro chip to another Mac in the first half of this year,” according to Gurman.
“That could mean a higher-end Mac mini or iMac,” he reasons.
Alongside the expected Apple Watch Series 8, Apple could be planning an all-new Apple watch variant and a refresh for the Watch SE, Gurman says. The variant could well be the long-rumoured Rugged Apple Watch, which will see them compete directly in that sports space.
2022 also must be the year the second-gen AirPods Pros finally arrive. The first-gen first launched in 2019; since then active noise-cancellation, smaller, better mics and wireless antennas have been the norm.
If all this comes to pass, 2022 might be one of the most important years for Apple since the release of the iPod.
