The pandemic hardly seems to have thwarted Apple’s product plans 2020. The manufacturer brought a large number of new hardware onto the market: It started with an updated iPad Pro and a new edition of the entry-level iPhone SE, followed in autumn by the extensively redesigned iPad Air, a HomePod mini, and the two new Apple Watch Variants Series 6 and SE as well as the – several weeks late – iPhone 12. The first ARM Macs and AirPods Max ended a packed autumn.

But Apple shouldn’t take its foot off the gas, important product launches are also imminent for 2021. We give an overview of the expected devices and innovations.

MacBook Pro and iMac with Apple Silicon With the move the entry-level Macs based on ARM-based Systems-on-a-Chip (SoCs), Apple has only just proven that its in-house processors don’t have to hide from Intel. The entry-level models with Apple Silicon are superior to many benchmarks much more expensive Intel Macs and use comparatively little power.

Already in the first half of the year 2021 could now be followed by a high-end version with faster chips, more RAM and additional connections, possibly in the form of a new MacBook Pro. A 14 “model with mini-LED panel has been under discussion for a long time, which will replace the previous 13 “replaces MacBook Pro. Apple is working on processors with up to 16 high-performance cores as well as four energy-saving high-efficiency cores and more powerful GPUs with 16 and 32 shader clusters, it was said last. In addition to a new MacBook Pro, an iMac with Apple Silicon is also expected, possibly not until the second half of the year. There are also rumors about a new case design with a 24 “display. An ARM-Mac-Pro will only be 2022 expected.

AirPods 3 Design changes are coming to the AirPods: The AirPods 3 will probably be based on the design of the AirPods Pro, so Apple should shorten the noticeably long stem. It is also assumed that the AirPods exchangeable ear tips received to allow a better fit. New models could appear in the first half of the year 2021 – two years after the AirPods 2.

Active noise suppression is likely to be reserved for the Pro models. With the second generation of AirPods Pro, Apple is said to have a more compact design in a rounder housing that does not require any style.

iPad mini 6 Apple also likes to introduce new iPads in spring, usually in March, alongside an iPad Pro with faster ones With the chip, mini LED display and 5G support, a new edition of the iPad mini could also be pending, which 2020 did not receive an update. There are hardly any tangible rumors about the small iPad, but maybe Apple will bring the far-reaching innovations of the Air to the iPad mini 6, including the display that extends to the edge and the relocation of the fingerprint sensor to the standby button.

iPhone SE 2021 With the iPhone SE no major innovations are to be expected, but the device could become even cheaper in the trade and slide well below the 400 – euro mark . Occasionally it was speculated that Apple also wanted to launch a large version of the SE – based on the former Plus models with a 5.5 “display – but so far there are no concrete indications for this.