Apple rumoured to launch first iPhone SE with 5G on Mar. 8

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If the reports are accurate, Apple might be ready to bring 5G to the iPhone SE. Bloomberg claims the company plans to hold a March 8 spring event to launch the more affordable iPhone SE with 5G support alongside a refreshed iPad Air with a new CPU and 5G support for the cellular-equipped option. We can supposedly expect a faster chip, improved cameras, and a look similar to the 2020 iPhone SE. If that gets the A15 processor and 5G, it could be a great value iPhone to have. It isn't clear what will happen to Touch ID, but there probably won't be any changes on that front without any design updates.

Bloomberg's Mark Gurman reports we should get a new version of iOS with mask-friendly facial recognition support this March on iPhones and iPads that use Face ID. The update could also add new emojis and the highly anticipated Universal Control feature that connects a single keyboard and mouse setup across different Macs and iPads.

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Apple iPhones might get contactless payment feature thanks to Canadian startup acquisition

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It might be easier for small business owners with iPhones to accept payments on their mobile devices. The company is reportedly working on a feature that integrates contactless payment into the iPhone. Apple has allegedly been working on the service since 2020 when it acquired Canadian startup Mobeewave, which is known for developing tech that turns a phone into a payment portal.

Mobeewave's technology only required an app and the phone's NFC to work. You just have to type in the amount you want to charge, and then the customer needs to tap their credit card on the back of the phone. Apple has declined to comment on Bloomberg's story, so it's unclear if the feature will work the same way on iPhones. 

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Next AirPods Pro tipped to get lossless audio support

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Whether wireless earbuds are ready for lossless audio support or not, Apple might be the first to try something out, at least according to analyst Ming-Chi Kuo. Apple will reportedly launch the second-generation AirPods Pro with Apple Lossless (ALAC) audio support. But it isn't known if it'll support other lossless formats. It isn't clear how Apple will implement this, but Engadget speculates they might develop an aptX Lossless-style codec to make wireless ALAC possible. The launch is expected sometime in the fall, so plans might change.

Kuo said the AirPods Pro would also get a "new form factor design" and that it might get an AirTag-like feature for the charging case, allowing you to locate the missing accessory. 

Apple reportedly hires Meta's AR public relations head

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Apple has been rumoured to be working on an augmented reality headset. And the latest rumour about this project is it gets a new public relations head. According to Mark Gurman's Power On newsletter, Apple supposedly hired Meta's AR public relations lead, Andrea Schubert.

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