Oliver Cragg / Android Authority
Today, Apple held its first launch event of 2022. Teased as a ‘Peek Performance’ event, the company launched several new hardware products, including the next iteration of its budget-minded iPhone SE.
Below, we’ve rounded up all the major announcements from the event. If you want to watch the whole thing again, you can do so on YouTube.
See also: Apple iPhone buying guide
iPhone SE (2022)
Also referred to as the iPhone SE 3, the company’s third-generation affordable iPhone is the biggest release of the day. As expected, not much changed over the iPhone SE (2020), which was the second generation of the product. This means it has the same boring design — based on the design of the iPhone 8 — with a tiny 4.7-inch display. However, the hardware beneath saw significant upgrades.
Second-gen: iPhone SE (2020) review
The iPhone SE (2022) is the first in the budget line with 5G support. This should help future-proof it as well as give folks who are holding onto older iPhones an easy reason to upgrade.
The phone also packs the A15 Bionic underneath. This is the same processor you’ll find in the much more expensive iPhone 13 series, so the 2022 iPhone SE should be quite the powerhouse. Of course, it still has a relatively small battery, a no-frills display, and a solitary camera lens on the rear. So it’s not exactly a flagship.
The iPhone SE (2022) costs just $429. It comes in Midnight, Starlight, and Product(Red). Pre-orders open Friday, March 11, with general sales starting on March 18.
iPad Air 5
At the March 2022 Apple event, the company also launched a new fifth-generation iPad Air model with an upgraded chipset and 5G support. The upgraded chipset is the M1, which is the same processor you’ll find in much more expensive iPads and MacBooks. This should make the iPad Air 5 one of the best consumer-focused tablets on the market.
See also: Your guide to the best tablets
The front-facing camera also gets an upgrade to a 12MP ultrawide. This should help video chats be clearer. It also means it supports Center Stage, the feature that tracks you during video calls so you’re always in the center of the frame.
The iPad Air 5 starts at $599 for the 64GB Wi-Fi-only model. That’s the same price as the previous generation. There are also 5G models as well as a 256GB option. Regardless, pre-orders open on Friday, and general sales begin on March 18.
M1 Ultra
Apple announced the fourth iteration of the M1 chip. Now usurping even the M1 Max, there’s the M1 Ultra. Essentially, it’s two M1 chips blended together to produce even more performance. However, to software, it appears as a single chip. This means developers don’t need to change anything for newer products featuring the chip.
The chip will first appear in a new hardware product known as the Mac Studio.
Mac Studio
The Mac Studio is very much like a beefed-up Mac Mini. It’s very small but very powerful. It’s designed to live right on your desk so it’s always within easy reach.
See also: Which Apple MacBook should you buy?
There are two versions: one with the M1 Max and another with the new M1 Ultra. For the Max model, on the rear, it has four Thunderbolt ports, an Ethernet port, an HDMI port, two USB-A ports, and a headphone jack. On the front, it has two USB-C ports and an SD card reader. The Ultra model has the same ports but swaps out the two USB-C ports on the front with another two Thunderbolt ports.
In addition to the Mac Studio, we also saw the Studio Display at the March 2022 Apple event. Designed to complement the Mac Studio, the display is a 27-inch 5K model. Essentially, it’s a new lower-priced option for buyers who don’t need the Pro Display XR.
The Mac Studio starts at $1,999 for the M1 Max model, while the M1 Ultra model starts at a whopping $3,999. Meanwhile, the Studio Display starts at $1,599. Either way, you can pre-order them today and buy them outright on March 18.
So that’s all the major announcements from the Apple event in March 2022. What product was the most exciting to you? Let us know in the comments below.
