Apple 21 March event: Everything to expect from iPhone SE to new iPad Pro

Apple is hosting a press event at its California headquarters on 21 March, where it is expected to announce a range of new products. The event is called Let Us Loop You In and kicks off at 10am local time (6pm GMT).

As always, the internet has been packed full of leaks, rumours, speculation and gossip ahead of the event. In this article we outline everything we expect to see from Apple on 21 March.

iPhone SE

The most talked-about product expected to be revealed on 21 March is the iPhone SE, a smaller and cheaper handset which takes the internals of the iPhone 6 and 6S, and crams them into the body of the iPhone 5.

This will result in an iPhone with a 4in screen – 0.7in smaller than the 6 and 6S – and with a lower price. It won't be cheap (Apple doesn't really do cheap), but it will be more affordable than the 6S and 6S Plus, and it will bring back the much-loved design of the iPhone 5.

Reports claim the iPhone 5SE will have the same A9 processor as the iPhone 6S, but the same front and rear cameras as the iPhone 6. There will be a Touch ID fingerprint scanner and NFC for payments through Apple Pay, but 3D Touch will be missing.

Colour options are believed to be grey with a black front, plus silver, gold and rose gold all with a white front. The phone will look a lot like the iPhone 5, but with a glass front which curves downwards slightly at its edges, as it does on the 6 and 6S.

iPad Air 3 / 9.7in iPad Pro

Apple is very likely to reveal a new iPad, but there is uncertainty about what it will be called. We are almost certain it will have a 9.7in screen, the same as the original iPad and the same as the year-old Air 2. But instead of being called the iPad Air 3, some believe it will be called iPad Pro and join the 12.9in tablet of the same name.

This gives Apple the freedom to give the Air 2 a significant performance boost, add support for the Pencil stylus, and pitch it as a 'prosumer' device which blends consumer fun and professional functionality. Copying the larger Pro, the new tablet will likely have four speakers, more RAM and a 128GB storage option, along with an additional port to connect with a keyboard dock, just like the original Pro.

Following the launch of the smaller Pro, it looks like Apple will have a three-pronged iPad lineup of Mini, Air and Pro.

New Watch straps

The 'loop you in' part of Apple's invitation to this event could well be a clue about new Watch straps, in particular a black version of the Milanese Loop to watch the 'space grey' Watch. Other straps could include new designs, sizes and colours, and we might also see further partnerships between Apple and high-end fashion houses, like the deal already in place with Hermes.

An update to the Watch's software is possible, but this would not bring any major new features, and it is very unlikely that the Apple Watch 2 will arrive before the third quarter of the year, around September.

An iOS update

In a departure from the norm, Apple used its January press event to show off some new features in an upcoming version of iOS. Called iOS 9.3, the update includes a feature where users can adjust the screens of their iPhones and iPads to be softer on the eyes at night, making it easier to sleep after reading an iBook, for example.

The update also includes some new features aimed at education, such as being able to create multiple student profiles on one iPad, and control many iPads across a school. Teachers will also be able to launch apps on a classroom full of iPads at once, and check up on the progress and test scores of each pupil through their school-issued iPad.

A word about the FBI

It is believed that Apple is hosting this event on a Monday instead of its traditional Tuesday because the next hearing for Apple's case against the FBI over iPhone encryption is scheduled for 22 March. The FBI has asked Apple to retrieve data from the iPhone of a terrorist, but Apple has declined.

CEO Tim Cook has written publically about this, so it is likely that he will mention the situation again during the event on the 21st. A room full of attentive journalists and millions of fans watching online is the perfect platform for Cook to put Apple's case across before the next hearing.