Apple Launching iPad Air 3 And Budget iPhone 5se March 18th

We reported a couple of weeks ago that Apple would be unveiling a couple of new products in the middle of March, and we're now learning that the company plans to sell them mere days later. That's an atypical move for Apple, and it comes with a second atypical move: there will be no pre-orders. With production of both products having been ramped-up since last month, there seems to be no reason to have any sort of delay. It is somewhat interesting that Apple will be releasing both - the iPad Air 3 and iPhone 5se - at the same time, however, as it's not uncommon to see multiple major releases spaced apart. 

The iPhone 5se is quite an interesting device. The smartphone takes some cues from its iPhone 5s predecessor like its screen size/resolution and camera specs, but the hardware under the hood of this 4-inch model is closer to being on par with the iPhone 6s. That includes an A9 and M9 processor, NFC for Apple Pay, support for always-on Siri activation, and the ability to take Live Photos.

Early reports state that the iPhone 5se body will look nearly identical to the iPhone 5s, which wouldn't be much of a surprise. The 5se is effectively current hardware in an older, smaller form-factor, which some might appreciate.

Meanwhile, the iPad Air 3 is said to feature a Smart Connector, an upgrade to the Apple A9 processor, an upgraded camera, and possibly, a rear flash that would help with taking better quality photos with the device.

Currently, pricing is up in the air, but we don't realistically have that long of a wait before it's confirmed for both devices.