Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo believes that Apple is preparing to release the iPhone SE 2, a new iPad Pro with a 3D sensor for better AR support, a new MacBook equipped with a scissor-switch keyboard, and the long-rumored augmented reality headset all in the first half of 2020. The predictions were published in a new Chinese-language report that was reported in English by 9to5Mac.
This isn’t the first time we’re hearing about these devices. Some, like the augmented reality headset, have been cropping up in reports for years. The new report agrees with many of the previous rumors, with only the release dates changing:
- Corroborating his previous prediction from earlier this month, Kuo says Apple’s successor to the iPhone SE will arrive in the first quarter of next year. Reports from Nikkei and Bloomberg have suggested that the phone will have a similar design to the iPhone 8, but it will come with the same chipset as the iPhone 11. Pricing is unknown, but part of the appeal of the original SE was its relatively low price (for an iPhone) and diminutive size.
- Kuo believes we could see a new model of the iPad Pro in Q1 2020, fitted with a rear-facing 3D time-of-flight sensor that could help it offer better augmented reality performance. This prediction corroborates a previous report from Bloomberg, which said that Apple could debut a new laser-powered 3D camera with an iPad Pro released in spring 2020. However, a more recent report from Bloomberg said that Apple is planning to release new iPad Pros later in 2019, although that report doesn’t list the 3D time-of-flight sensor as a new feature.
- Meanwhile, Kuo expects Apple to launch its augmented reality headset for the iPhone in the second quarter of next year. Earlier this year, the analyst predicted that Apple would begin production of the headset at the end of 2019, and at least one report previously suggested that it could arrive in 2020. Apparent references to the headset also recently cropped up in iOS 13’s code.
- Finally, the analyst has predicted that a MacBook with a new scissor-switch keyboard could be coming in Q2 2020. 9to5Mac notes that it’s not entirely clear which version of the MacBook Kuo is referring to, but it says that the analyst tends to specify exact models in his report. This suggests he could be talking about a different model from the 16-inch MacBook Pro that Kuo previously predicted would get the new keyboard this year, ditching the controversial butterfly keyboard that Apple has used in its keyboards since 2015. Bloomberg believes that the revamped 16-inch MacBook Pro could arrive this year, but it hasn’t offered any details about its keyboard.
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Author: Jon Porter
Source: Theverge
