Apple iPhone 5se, iPad Air 3 could be a reality on 15 March

This year, there is just one smartphone that has been getting a lot more attention than the upcoming Apple iPhone 7 and that would be its younger sibling, the 4-inch iPhone 5se. While there have been plenty of rumours describing its hardware specifications and features, there is more news on its launch date, where the smartphone is expected to be unveiled alongside the iPad Air 3 and some new Apple Watch accessories. The news comes from 9to5mac that reports the date as 15 March from a trusted source. At the same time, the same source also mentions that the event is still a month and a half away so both the date or the event may change. While Apple for now has stuck to 15 March as the date for a launch event, the source also claims that Apple may cancel the event and turn the same into an online launch as well. [caption id=“attachment_294780” align=“aligncenter” width=“640”]  Image: Steve Hemmerstoffer, Twitter[/caption] The Apple iPhone 5se is expected to pack in plenty of recently announced features, all except for a fingerprint reader and 3D Touch. What you can expect to get on this smaller iPhone 5s successor is a design similar to the iPhone 6 models, an 8MP camera on the back and 1.2MP front-facing camera. Talking about the camera, the sensors and the hardware will be able to deliver larger panoramas and autofocus for video recording as well. Also included in the iPhone 5se will be a barometer that will help the Health app check for changes in elevation. Other upgrades also include an NFC chip for Apple Pay and other communication options that would include Bluetooth 4.2, VoLTE, and 802.11ac Wi-Fi. Powering it all will be an Apple A8 chipset with the M8 co-processor that will also come from the currently available iPhone 6 models. Coming to the iPad Air 3, previous rumours have stated that Apple is in fact testing a version of the iPad Air 3 with a 9.7-inch panel which supports the Apple Pencil. This is new, since the iPad Pro is the only tablet in Apple’s line up to support the new Apple Pencil. Other features coming from the iPad Pro also includes, a revamped speaker set up with additional speaker grills. These should not better than those on the currently available iPad Pro, but clearly a better setup than the ones on the current Air models. (Also Read:  Apple iPhone 7 design changes to include eliminating rear camera bump and ugly antenna bands ) As for the good old Apple Watch, we will not be seeing a new Watch 2 model being released on the same date, but fans can expect a new range of accessories and an Apple Watch software update instead.