Rumor Replay: New iPads on the way, Apple Invites app, and more

8 hours ago 1

This is Rumor Replay, a weekly column at 9to5Mac offering a quick rundown of the most recent Apple product rumors, with analysis and commentary. Today: new iPads are on the way, plus a curious iOS Invites app, and more. Here are this week’s Apple rumors.

New iPads and iPhone SE 4 launching ‘by April’

There was a rumor this week widely misconstrued as claiming new iPads and the iPhone SE 4 would be launching as early as January. Mark Gurman quickly refuted the idea, and in the process offered his own expected timeline.

He said that new iPads and the iPhone SE 4 would be coming by April, some time before iOS 18.4 launches.

My takeaways

This rumor mostly just confirms what we were already expecting, but with a potential iPad Air tidbit.

The forthcoming iPhone SE 4 and new base iPad were always rumored to launch around March. But Gurman references ‘iPads’ plural in his post, which presumably references the forthcoming M3 iPad Air.

Gurman had previously mentioned the new iPad Air would debut ‘around the same time’ as the iPhone SE 4, but since we just got the M2 Air last May, I personally wasn’t expecting the M3 revision until April at the earliest, and more likely May or June. Such a release could still fit the ‘around the same time’ window.

Now though, it sounds like the new iPad Air may debut in March at the same time as a revised base iPad and iPhone SE.

Invites app in the works at Apple

This week my 9to5Mac colleague Filipe Espósito exclusively reported on signs of Apple developing a new ‘Invites’ app.

Code was discovered in the latest iOS 18.3 beta to indicate ongoing work of the app, which could be a standalone app or possibly integrated into other parts of iOS like iMessage.

My takeaways

Very little is known about this potential app. My initial thought, though, is that it sounds more like a new feature set than a full-blown app.

I could definitely see Apple bring an upgraded invite system to the Calendar app. And maybe even make an API that’s used by other built-in iOS apps or even third-party calendars.

Fantastical, for example, offers a great system for managing calendar invites, polling invitees for availability, and sharing a bookable schedule with others. Apple’s Calendar app could use similar upgrades—all of which may potentially be covered by Invites.

iPhone 17 Pro design change

It’s becoming more clear that Apple is planning to bring design changes not just to the iPhone 17 Air, but its 17 Pro line too.

The latest on that front: Weibo leaker Fixed-focus digital shared that the iPhone 17 Pro will use a ‘slope rather than a step’ for the connection between the back shell and the main body.

My takeaways

It’s hard to read too much into this leak, since it’s a translation and doesn’t seem entirely clear anyways.

It sounds like the iPhone 17 Pro may go back to more of a curved sides design. Every model since the iPhone 12 has used flatter sides.

This could go hand-in-hand with the shift toward an aluminum frame, as has been reported elsewhere.

Personally, I do like curved sides on the iPhone. However, iPhone sizes have increased recently, so I’m concerned curved sides could negatively impact grip.

What do you make of this week’s Apple rumors? Let us know in the comments.