Apple spring event: Date, time, how to watch and product launch rumors

Macworld

Big things are brewing at Apple Park, and we expect to find out what they are this spring. In this article, we explain when Apple is likely to hold a launch event for spring 2024 (assuming it holds one at all), how to watch it live, and what products you can expect to be unveiled.

Apple’s spring event is one of the three or four big events in Apple’s yearly cycle of announcements. We get the big software announcements at WWDC in the summer, the iPhone launch in September, sometimes we see Apple make Mac and iPad announcements in October or November, and (most years) we get some hardware reveals at a spring event on March or April. Apple executives will hit the stage–whether real or virtual–and boast about some recent successes, before revealing what new products are about to launch. For more detail on Apple’s calendar of events, read When is the next Apple event?

Apple has held lots of spring events, but they don’t happen every year and it’s not guaranteed that Apple will hold a spring event in 2024. However, there are rumors that Apple may have something to announce at an event this spring. Read on to find out more.

Will there be a spring Apple event in 2024?

While there has been no information indicating that Apple plans to hold an event this spring, there are plenty of rumors indicating that there are new products in Apple’s pipeline that could be launched in the late-March timescale.

We’ll discuss when the event could happen and the products that might launch below.

When is Apple’s spring 2024 event?

Apple hasn’t announced a date, or even that there will be an event, yet, but there are a few clues as to when the event could take place.

Based on previous years it’s likely to be a Monday or Tuesday in mid to late March. In 2022 the event took place on March 8, but that was earlier than the norm. Apple is currently running its Back to Uni promotion in Australia and other parts of the southern hemisphere. Apple’s student deal ends on March 13, so it’s likely that any new products won’t come until after that date.

With that in mind the 19th, 20th, 26th or 27th March are possible dates for an event (or just a product launch).

Here are the dates of the past seven Apple spring events.

2023: no event

2022: Tuesday March 8

2021: Tuesday April 20

2020: no event

2019: Monday March 25

2018: Tuesday March 27

2017: no event

2016: Monday March 21

2015: Monday March 9

2014: no event

2013: no event

2012: Wednesday March 7

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What time will Apple’s spring event start?

Apple’s events generally start at 10 a.m. in local (California) time, and once we’ve got the date we can use that to translate to other timezones. The slight hiccup is that some timezones switch to summertime or daylight saving time during the spring while others don’t, so timings would work out differently depending on when exactly Apple holds the event.

Here’s how it would work out in various territories, assuming the event happens before the clocks change:

UK: 6pm (GMT)

Rest of Europe: 7pm (CET)

US: 10am (PST), 11am (MST), noon (CST), 1pm (EST)

Canada: 10am (PST), 11am (MST), noon (CST), 1pm (EST)

India: 11.30pm (IST)

Singapore and China: next day at 2am

Japan: next day at 3am (JST)

Australia: next day at 2am (AWST), 4.30am (ACDT), 5am (AEDT)

New Zealand: next day at 7am (NZDT)

And here’s what it would look after the clocks change. As you can see, daylight saving time has kicked in for those that observe it.

UK: 6pm (BST)

Rest of Europe: 7pm (CEST)

US: 10am (PDT), 11am (MDT), noon (CDT), 1pm (EDT)

Canada: 10am (PDT), 11am (MDT), noon (CDT), 1pm (EDT)

India: 10.30pm (IST)

Singapore and China: next day at 1am

Japan: next day at 2am (JST)

Australia: next day at 1am (AWST), 2.30am (ACST), 3am (AEST)

New Zealand: next day at 5am (NZST)

Apple events generally last between one and two hours.

The other possibility is that Apple will hold an evening event like it did to launch the M3 Macs at the end of October 2023. The late time of that event was not ideal for fans based in the UK or the rest of Europe so we hope that Apple doesn’t do this again.

What will Apple choose as the event tagline?

Something vague to create as much speculation as possible. Expect a weak pun, along these lines. “Spring Into Action,” maybe. Or “Let’s Get Real.”

What will Apple announce at the spring event?

The last big release was the M3 MacBook Pro and iMac in October, and most recently we’ve seen the arrival of the Vision Pro in the U.S. only. So what could be next?

One product category that didn’t get a look in at all in 2023 was the iPad. Not a single Apple tablet was updated. So a new batch of iPads is expected including a new iPad mini and iPad Air (the latter of which could have a larger screen option). An 11th gen iPad and an update to the iPad Pro, also with a screen size adjustment, could also happen in the spring, although we may be waiting a little longer for them.

When Apple updated the MacBook Pro and iMac with the M3, M3 Pro and M3 Max it neglected to update the MacBook Air and Mac mini with the same chips, so these Macs are surely going to be updated soon, and a spring event would be a good format for that, although Apple may just announce the news in a press release.

Another thing we’d like to see in the spring is the return of the iMac Pro. The revival of the pro version of the iMac is apparently coming, but unfortunately unlike to arrive until 2025, so say the rumors.

We could also get a date for the availability of the Vision Pro. outside the U.S. According to analyst Ming-Chi Kuo the Vision Pro is likely to launch outside the U.S. before WWDC 2024, which likely takes place in June.

We could also see some updates to the Home products. There have been rumors of a faster version of the Apple TV, a HomePod with screen, or a product that combines the two products.

Speaking of music, we could also see new AirPods – including a cheaper model. Read the AirPods rumors.

How to watch Apple’s spring event live

The best way to watch would be to get an invite to attend in person, but most of us won’t be so lucky. Fortunately, Apple will also livestream the presentation so everyone can watch along.

The first place to try is Apple’s events page, which currently lets you rewatch old events but will have the livestream on the night. Indeed, the main Apple.com home page should have plenty of coverage while the presentation is happening.

If you’ve got an iPhone, an iPad, an Apple TV or a Mac–assuming the device has sufficiently up-to-date software–you can watch the stream on the TV app. PC owners can also watch, but will need to visit Apple’s site as mentioned above.

After the event is finished, it will also be available to rewatch in the Podcasts and TV apps, and on Apple’s website.

You should also be able to watch the announcements live on Apple’s YouTube channel, and the company has occasionally experimented with streaming announcements on its Twitter page, although we don’t expect it to repeat the strategy this year.

Finally, Apple has for certain events in the past held broadcast events in Apple Stores, so it may be worth contacting your nearest outlet to see if they have anything planned.

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What has Apple launched in past spring events?

Studying past behavior can help us predict what Apple will do in the future. Here’s what Apple has announced at previous spring events.

2023: no event

2022 (“Peek Performance,” virtual): New iPhone SE, new iPad Air, Mac Studio and Studio Display, and new iPhone color options

2021 (“Spring Loaded,” virtual): New iPad Pro and iMac, Apple TV 4K, AirTags, new iPhone color options and iOS 14.7

2020: no event

2019 (“It’s show time”): Apple Card, and the News+, TV+, and Arcade subscription services

2018 (“Let’s take a field trip”): New iPad and education announcements

2017: no event

2016 (“Let us loop you in”): iPad Pro, iPhone SE, and software updates

2015 (“Spring Forward”): Apple Watch, a new MacBook, and iOS 8.2

2014: no event

2013: no event

2012 (“We have something you really have to see. And touch”): 3rd-gen Apple TV and 3rd-gen iPad

What happens at an Apple event?

Like most tech-company launch events, it will feature both fluff and substance. Expect some tedious bragging at the beginning; this may cover such topics as operating system adoption rates, hardware customer reviews, and eco-friendly manufacturing policies. But Apple wouldn’t hold an event if there wasn’t something worth hearing, and we should get into proper announcements within 10 minutes or so.

Generally speaking you can expect multiple separate announcements at an Apple event, but this year we think the company will focus hard on a single product (or ecosystem of products).

Apple Inc, iPad, Mac