Updated: It Could Be a Big Week for Apple

Updated:

Apple has scheduled upcoming maintenance on the company’s online store according to the company’s system status page. This suggests new hardware is coming on Tuesday, March 21, as was discussed below:

As originally published:

It’s been nearly two months since Apple first released beta versions for iOS 10.3, watchOS 3.2, and tvOS 10.2. These updates should arrive for the public in the coming days.

With iOS 10.3, Apple has introduced a Find My AirPods feature, which allows users to track down a lost AirPod by reporting the last known location for each earbud via the Find My iPhone app. When in range, the AirPods play a sound to help locate them, much like other Bluetooth trackers on the market.

In watchOS 3.2, you’ll find Theater Mode, which lets users quickly mute the sound on their Apple Watch and avoid waking the screen on wrist raise. Users still receive notifications (including haptics) while in Theater Mode, which they can view by tapping the screen or pressing the Digital Crown.

These are likely to be the last significant OS software updates from Apple prior to this year’s Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC), which begins on June 5 from the McEnery Convention Center in San Jose, California

Barring a major scheduling change, it looks like the only new Apple tablet to launch this spring will be a second-generation 9.7-inch iPad Pro.

The 9.7-inch iPad Pro 2 is likely to feature the same specifications as the current model, except for the introduction of an “A10X” chip. The chip, an enhanced version of the A10 found on the iPhone 7, would replace the A9X chip found on the current model.

If this occurs, the current 9.7-inch iPad Pro could replace the iPad Air 2 as the entry-level 9.7-inch tablet in Apple’s lineup. For now, the 9.7-inch iPad Pro with A9X chip has an entry price of $599, while the A8X-powered iPad Air 2 starts at $399.

The long-rumored “10.5-inch iPad Pro” and a next-generation 12.9-inch iPad Pro might not launch until the fall.

Take a look at our complete iPad rumor roundup with more information about the possible new tablets for 2017.

Finally, keep an eye on this page from the Apple online store. It’s here where Apple could launch new Apple Watch bands for spring. Expect to see additions to the Sport Band and Woven Nylon lines, and perhaps something new in the Classic Buckle series.

We’ll continue to follow this story. Our best bet is that new hardware could be announced as early as tomorrow, March 21. The software updates could arrive soon after.