Apple and its First Product Launch Event of the Year

The Cupertino-based tech giant will hold its first product launch event of the year in several hours. Apple will unveil the new iPad Pro as well as the iPad mini. Apple may unveil other services and products as well. New iPads and services won’t be enough to solve all challenges as the company is facing a decade of increased competition as well as courtroom battles on numerous fronts.

There is a high chance that Apple will present its new iPad Pro. The biggest improvement is likely to be the addition of a mini-LED display for the 12.9-inch model. Benefits include increased brightness, better battery life, as well as less potential for image burn-in. The tech would replace the OLED currently found on iPhone models.

Also, the improved screen technology is said to add a bit of thickness to the design. The shape largely is otherwise unchanged. Supply constraints could ultimately put a damper on the availability, so there is a possibility that the product could be announced on April 20, but delayed for a later date.

The company is likely to offer better performance as well. Rumor has it that the A14X will use the same technology that forms the foundation of the M1 chip found on recent Macs. Apple is also expected to update its iPad mini. The new iPad mini would be getting its first major boost in two years. Its classic iPad design language will remain, but the new iPad mini will offer better capabilities.

Apple and various challenges

Apple is working hard to offer new products and services. However, the tech giant is struggling to deal with other challenges. In less than a month, the tech giant and Epic Games, maker of the popular game Fortnite, head to trial in their dispute over how Apple manages payments from iOS apps. In 2020, the company purposefully changed the iOS version of Fortnite to allow users to pay Epic directly, circumventing Apple’s App Store rules. The tech giant removed Fortnite from the App Store, and the maker of Fortnite filed a lawsuit against Apple.

Epic Games is not the only company that does not agree with Apple’s policies. Large app makers such as Spotify as well as dating company Match Group support the lawsuit filed by Epic Games. Many of these developers also created a group called the Coalition for App Fairness. This group recently pushed state legislatures in Arizona and North Dakota to pass laws affecting Apple’s control of the App Store.