--- description: Apple could announce the release of a new phone called the iPhone SE, introduce a new iPad, and more at its March event this year. title: 3 Things to Expect From Apple's Big Event image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt3316951487074fbd/69888b970b72e32ead6e8972/gettyimages-455660494.jpg?branch=production&width=3840&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  * [Business](/section/business/) ## Business Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close * [Tech](/tag/time-section-tech/) ## Tech Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close # 3 Things to Expect From Apple's Big Event  by [Lisa Eadicicco](/author/lisa-eadicicco/)  ## Lisa Eadicicco Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Mar 18, 2016 2:23 PM CUT  The camera and flash of an Apple iPhone 6 Plus gold, is shown here at a Verizon store on September 18, 2014 in Orem, Utah. The camera and flash of an Apple iPhone 6 Plus gold, is shown here at a Verizon store on September 18, 2014 in Orem, Utah.George Frey—Getty Images  by [Lisa Eadicicco](/author/lisa-eadicicco/)  ## Lisa Eadicicco Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Mar 18, 2016 2:23 PM CUT Get ready, Apple fans. On March 21, the tech company is holding an event on its Cupertino, Calif. campus, where it will presumably unveil some new gadgets and possibly make other announcements too. There’s no way to know exactly what Apple has planned, but here’s what we’re expecting to see based on the latest rumors and reports. [You can watch the event here](http://www.apple.com/apple-events/march-2016/ "undefined"). **A new, smaller iPhone** Apple is expected to introduce a new iPhone with a 4-inch screen during its keynote next week. The phone, which is expected to be called the iPhone SE, will look almost identical to the iPhone 5s, [according to 9to5Mac’s Mark Gurman](http://9to5mac.com/2016/03/17/iphone-se-5s-12-megapixel-4k/ "undefined"). But, unlike Apple’s three-year-old iPhone, the iPhone SE is said to have matte edges rather than glossy ones. Leaked [designs for an upcoming phone case](http://www.macrumors.com/2016/03/09/spigen-iphone-se-case-renderings/ "undefined") also provide some hints as to what this smaller iPhone might look like. Although it will likely look a lot like the 5s, the iPhone SE will be packed with more powerful internals. The new iPhone will reportedly include the same A9 processor found in the iPhone 6s, support for Apple Pay, improved Wi-Fi and cellular components, and a 12-megapixel camera capable of recording 4K video. **A new iPad** Apple may launch a more compact version of the iPad Pro as well. A refreshed iPad with a 9.7-inch screen and Apple Pencil support is also reported to debut at Apple’s event, [according to Gurman](http://9to5mac.com/2016/03/11/apple-march-31st-event-new-hardware/ "undefined"). This upcoming tablet could also include Apple’s Smart Connector, which allows the Pro to connect to Apple’s Smart Keyboard without pairing via Bluetooth. The specifications for this iPad will also closely match that of the iPad Pro. But the new tablet’s camera is expected to more closely resemble that of the iPhone 6s, which means it will also be able to record video in 4K. Apple is also likely to price this updated 9.7-inch iPad similarly to the iPad Air 2. ### This Is How Apple Teases All Its Huge Announcements  iTunes launch on Windows, October 2003 Apple  iPod Nano, September 2005 Apple  5th Generation iPod, October 2005 Apple  iTunes 7 with movies, September 2006 Apple  iPhone, January 2007 Apple  iPod Touch, September 2007 Apple  MacBook Air, January 2008 Apple  App Store & iPhone 3G, June 2008 Apple  2nd Generation iPod Touch, September 2008 Apple  iPhone 3GS, June 2009 Apple  3rd Generation iPod Touch, September 2009 Apple  iPad, January 2010 Apple  iPhone 4, June 2010 Apple  4th Generation iPod Touch, September 2010 Apple  MacBooks with unibody design, September 2010 Apple  2nd Generation MacBook Air, October 2010 Apple  iPad 2, March 2011 Apple  iCloud & iOS 5, June 2011 Apple  iPhone 4S, October 2011 Apple  iBooks 2 & iBooks Author, January 2012 Apple  3rd Generation iPad, March 2012 Apple  MacBook Pro with Retina display, June 2012 Apple  iPhone 5, September 2012 Apple  iPad Mini, October 2012 Apple  iPhone 5S & iPhone 5C, September 2013 Apple  iPad Air & iPad Mini with Retina display, October 2013 Apple  iPhone 6 & iPhone 6 Plus & iOS 8, September 2014 Apple  iPad Air 2 & iPad Mini 3 & Apple Pay, October 2014 Apple  Apple Watch, March 2015 Apple **Apple’s views on privacy** Apple’s event takes place just one day before the company’s court date in its [ongoing fight with the Federal Bureau of Investigation](http://time.com/4262480/tim-cook-apple-fbi-2/ "undefined") over encryption and privacy. There’s a chance that Apple executives could use the event as a platform to make its case once again. ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/4264055/iphone-se-release-date-apple-event/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/4264055/iphone-se-release-date-apple-event/"},"headline":"3 Things to Expect From Apple's Big Event","datePublished":"2016-03-18T14:23:31.000Z","dateModified":"2026-05-11T04:44:05.308Z","description":"New Apple gadgets are coming Monday","url":"https://time.com/4264055/iphone-se-release-date-apple-event/","keywords":["Tech","Apple","Gadgets","iPhone","iPad"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt3316951487074fbd/69888b970b72e32ead6e8972/gettyimages-455660494.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Lisa Eadicicco","jobTitle":null,"url":"https://time.com/author/lisa-eadicicco/"}],"articleSection":"Business","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt3316951487074fbd/69888b970b72e32ead6e8972/gettyimages-455660494.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"Verizon Store Stocks Shelves With New Apple iPhone 6","caption":"Verizon Store Stocks Shelves With New Apple iPhone 6","creditText":"George Frey—Getty Images","representativeOfPage":true}],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/section/business/","name":"Business"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"/tag/time-section-tech/","name":"Tech"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/4264055/iphone-se-release-date-apple-event/","name":"3 Things to Expect From Apple's Big Event"}}]}] ```