Apple’s 12.9-inch iPad Pro, the Galaxy Tab S7+ and more devices are on sale today
The Google Pixel 4, Apple Watches and wireless headphones are also on sale today
The official news today as always, begin with deals, and since Apple is once again taking over the spotlight, those are the deals we’re gonna start with, as you know those products are getting refreshed soon. The 12.9 inch iPad Pro is currently 100 dollars off on Amazon, leaving the 256GB variant for 999 dollars. The 11 inch with the same specs is 50 dollars off, so you can get it at 849 dollars. If you’re looking for a Samsung tablet, the Tab S7+ is also 220 dollars off, leaving the 512GB variant for 809 dollars. The Google Pixel 4a 5G is 50 dollars off, leaving it at 449 but you can also get the regular Pixel 4 for 300 dollars off its original price, leaving it at 499. The Apple Watch Series 5 is 300 dollars off, leaving some of the higher end variants for 449 pretty much. Finally, the Galaxy Buds Live are 90 dollars off, leaving them at 79 and the AirPods Pro are 50 dollars off, leaving them at 199. We have more deals on Samsung and Vizio TVs, more Apple Watches and other accessories in the links below.
GSMA planning in-person MWC21 in Barcelona with a ton of protocols in place
Let’s keep talking about official news and, we actually have even more for today but, let’s start with MWC. This, along with IFA are my two favorite shows, and going to Europe has a lot to do with it, but we know how the pandemic messed that up last year. Well, according to GSMA’s latest press release, they are planning an in-person Mobile World Congress in Barcelona this year but of course, there’s a ton of protocol going on here. To quote the press release, “the health and safety plans by the Committed community have been approved by the local health authorities and will cover everyone from staff and visitors to exhibitors and locals.” Apparently these protocols include mandatory negative COVID-19 tests with frequent testing rules, contact tracing via a specific app created for the event, improved air conditioning and a touchless environment to exhibit products. That said, they are still aiming to host 45,000 to 50,000 people and I mean, if everything is done right, I’m glad to see things are getting back to normal to this degree. We’ll see how this evolves with future statements but, things are looking good at the moment.
Apple’s VR/AR headset could arrive as soon as next year
Before we keep going with official news, let’s move on to Apple for a quick second but, with this source it’s almost official. I seriously struggle with covering this topic given how its proven that people still don’t go crazy about it, but if it comes from Ming Chi Kuo and Apple, it must matter. Kuo has been on fire ever since the calendar hit March, and now he’s talking AR and VR. According to his report, we should expect Apple’s new VR or AR headset as soon as next year. In the report he details Apple’s roadmap for VR products where he lists this new “helmet type” headset with AR and VR capabilities, followed by AR Glasses in 2025 and an AR Contact Lens for somewhere around 2030 or 2040. Going back to what we could be getting next year, this AR headset is expected to weigh around 100 to 200 grams, featuring Sony micro-OLED displays inside and they would need “independent computing power and storage” meaning that they can run without an iPhone or other Apple devices. Kuo mentions the fact that Cupertino has been focusing a lot on AR but he thinks that the hardware specifications on this product will provide an immersive experience that is significantly better than what you currently get with VR. Apparently it’ll have a similar price tag to a high-end iPhone meaning, a little over 1000 dollars.
OnePlus 9 arrives on March 23 armed with custom Sony camera sensor
Here’s how OnePlus plans to benefit from the Hasselblad partnership
But alright, let’s get back to those official news with OnePlus as yes, it is March 8th so the company finally had their big announcement which is.. Another date. This morning the company announced the OnePlus 9 Series will launch on March 23rd with the caption “Your Best Shot”. The event will happen at 10AM ET and even if they didn’t go into deal, we’re expecting 3 phones around this time. According to the leaks we should be getting a OnePlus 9R, a 9 and 9 Pro. We’ll be focusing on the Pro just to give you a quick recap, we’re expecting a 6.55 inch QHD+ display running at 120Hz, the Snapdragon 888 5G, around 8 or 12GBs of RAM, a 4500 mAh battery, and a quad camera at the back with two 48MP sensors, including a Sony IMX 789 custom which is the biggest sensor on a OnePlus phone ever. Now, speaking of that camera, one of the major stories at the moment is that Hasselblad branding on it, and I highly recommend you watch Michael Fisher’s video on how these partnerships work. That being said, OnePlus mentions that they are heavily investing on bringing vastly improved camera systems especially with this Hasselblad partnership which will continuously develop over the next 3 years. They plan to use software improvements including color tuning and sensor calibration, Natural Color Calibration and even a Hasselblad Pro Mode, including a new interface for this mode and more modularity. We’re just about a week away from this so let’s see, and we’re hoping it’s really good.
Story of the day:
Apple’s iMac Pro will be discontinued after selling its remaining stock
Apple’s next big launch event is reportedly happening on March 23
But Finally, for the hottest news today, let’s move on to Apple, but let’s stick to March 23rd. Remember back in 2019 when OnePlus announced the date for their 7 series event in New York and then Apple did the same thing for that exact date, and the OnePlus moved its event a day later? Actually, it’s happened at least three times. Well, earlier this morning.. 5AM to be exact, we got a new tweet from Jon Prosser where he simply just said 23. A couple of minutes later he gave us some updated info from a reliable source where he says that the products that Cupertino has ready includes AirTags, iPad Pro, AirPods and the Apple TV. So far we’ve been hearing rumors of all these products for the longest time, with AirTags being leaked all the way back to 2019, the new iPad Pros which are finally introducing mini-LED Displays, the redesigned AirPods and that Apple TV which is long overdue. However, it looks like there’s another product we might be getting. Apple just discontinued the current iMac Pro which was launched back in 2017 meaning, if you’re interested in getting one, now is your time as the store says they’ll only sell until supplies last. They removed all the “build-to-order” configurations from the site, leaving you with a single 5000 dollar variant to choose from. The reason we’re saying we might have another product is because a week or two ago, Prosser also shared images of the new Mac Pro mini and the redesigned iMacs though, he didn’t give us a launch date. So, even if these don’t come in March, that iMac refresh is evidently happening now that the iMac Pro is gone.. And it also hints to some pretty powerful Apple Silicon chips.
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