Apple’s Spring Loaded event: rumors, news, and announcements

Spring has sprung and with it, the first Apple event of the year. The company successfully brought custom Arm chips to its Macs last year, and now it’s continuing its product updates with an event called “Spring Loaded.” Outside the obvious coiled metal connotation, the name suggests another jam-packed day of announcements.

And Apple does have a lot of products to address. The Apple TV was last updated in 2017 but is rumored to get support for 120Hz displays, a new processor that could make it a more capable Apple Arcade machine, and a redesigned remote. The iPad mini is also expected to finally receive some love after sitting idle since 2019. Reports point to a larger display and updated internals for the small tablet.

New iPad Pros will reportedly get a speed boost with a new chip similar to Apple’s M1, a Thunderbolt port for faster transfers and compatibility with more devices, and support for 5G. The larger 12.9-inch Pro may also be the first Apple device to feature a Mini LED display, though a display and component shortage could limit how many tablets Apple is able to produce and sell.

There’s plenty of other hanging threads, too: the long-rumored AirTags could show up, Apple may have a new podcast strategy, the Apple Pencil could get a redesign, new AirPods could make an appearance, the MacBook Pro might finally get its ports back, and there are always plenty of opportunities for surprises.

We’ll be watching live and keeping you updated here with everything Apple announces.