Apple "Spring Loaded" Event: How To Watch And What To Expect

Apple is hosting its first big event of the year today. The Spring Loaded event is expected to debut new iPad and Mac hardware models, along with software announcements for iOS devices. Here's all the details. [Update: The event is over, and as expected, Apple announced a new M1-powered iPad Pro. We also got a look at a new Apple TV 4K and a trailer and release date for Ted Lasso Season 2, which, like the first season, will be available on Apple TV+.]

How To Watch

The Spring Loaded event will begin at 10 AM PT / 1 PM ET. It will be streamed through the Apple site. Apple advises using its own recent iPhone, iPad, or Macs with Safari browsers, but it also notes that you can stream using other browsers like Chrome and Firefox. It will also be available through YouTube.

Ordinarily Apple would host such an event in-person, especially to show off its high-tech campus at Apple Park. The pandemic has changed those plans, however, and Apple has switched to all-virtual presentations for the time being. It has already announced that its Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) in June will also be an online-only event. That event tends to house the biggest Apple announcements.

Apple Spring Loaded Start Times - April 20

• 10 AM PT
• 1 PM ET
• 6 PM BST
• 3 AM AEST (April 21)

What to Expect

CNET reports that Apple is rumored to focus primarily on the iPad family with today's announcements. That could mean upgraded chips and new screens featuring mini-LED displays for better brightness and battery life. This could be a harbinger of things to come for other Apple hardware as well, as MacBook laptops and iMac desktops are rumored to be switching to mini-LED sometime in the future too.

The new iPads may be of interest for Xbox Game Pass subscribers, as Microsoft recently announced it will be opening limited beta tests of its cloud streaming functionality on iOS devices. That feature is included with Game Pass Ultimate subscriptions, though Apple's restrictions mean it will run through a browser-based app instead of directly through your Xbox Game Pass app.

The company also might debut its iOS 14.5 update. Notable features rumored to be coming in that big software update include new emojis, privacy updates, and new interactions with the Apple Watch. The biggest change for privacy-conscious users will be new requirements for apps to ask your permission in order to use tracking features. That update could be coming in the next few weeks.

On the far end of the rumor spectrum, Apple also may be ready to debut AirTags. This long-rumored device is a small tracker you can attach to your personal belongings so that you'll be able to find them using the iPhone's "Find My" app. Reports have circulated about AirTags for quite a while, and competitors like Samsung are starting to offer such devices, so it wouldn't be surprising if Apple uses this opportunity to show off its own version.