2022 is shaping up to be a big year for Apple. A lot of new products, including the second-generation AirPods Pro, a new dedicated Apple Watch for sports, iPhone SE 5G, new 27-inch iMac, and its first mixed reality headset are some of the products expected to debut in 2022. Now, in the latest edition of his Power On newsletter, Mark Gurman has hinted that Apple will launch a new 15-inch iPad with wall mount support to take on Amazon Echo Show 15 and Facebook Portal.
Gurman says that this will be a home product targeted to control smart home devices and do "basic tablet stuff." It will be a bit thicker to accommodate better speakers than the current-gen iPad, but, at the same time, it won't be as thick as Echo Show 15. One of the differences with the 15-inch iPad will be that it will feature cameras in a horizontal orientation for video calling. It will be wall-mountable just like the Echo Show 15.
Amazon's Echo Show 15
Gurman believes that it will have an edge over the Echo Show 15 as it will come with the iPadOS App Store giving users access to thousands of apps. In addition, it will also boast a powerful processor and better camera performance and features, like Center Stage. Apple will ship this device with a "Home Mode", according to Gurman who says that this feature will turn the 15-inch iPad into a smart home control hub.
Earlier this year, we heard about Apple developing a HomePod with display after the company discontinued the original HomePod. It was said that the company is developing a new HomePod with a screen at the top to compete against Amazon Echo Show and Google's Nest Hub. Now, with the rumors of a 15-inch iPad floating around, it is believed that this is the same HomePod with display Apple has been working on. With fast internals and premium internals, Gurman expects this device to be priced higher than Amazon's Echo Show 15 and Facebook's Porta.
New External Display for Macs
In addition, Mark Gurman has also revealed that Apple has been working on developing a new external display for Macs. This will be priced lower than the Pro Display XDR and would become a "hot seller" among those looking for an external display for the new MacBooks. It will slightly drop in performance, with less screen real-estate and a slight drop in brightness, to lower the price. Here's what he had to say about it:
I strongly believe [Apple will launch a new external monitor for its latest Macs.] A lower-cost monitor, I think, would be a hot seller for those looking to add a larger screen to their new MacBook Pro without spending the equivalent of a luxury car down payment on the Pro Display XDR. At this point, the cost of building that monitor has likely come down, and with a few tweaks and perhaps a slight drop in brightness, Apple might be able to get to a similar quality monitor (at a slightly smaller size) at perhaps about half the price. By the way, it’s still hilarious that Apple tried to justify the current monitor’s price by comparing it to a $43,000 Hollywood-grade reference monitor.