What Apple Unveiled at Its March 8, 2022 Event

At its virtual “Peek Performance” event on Tuesday, March 8, 2022, Apple announced the third-generation iPhone SE, fifth-generation iPad Air, new Mac Studio desktop and Studio Display, and M1 Ultra chip. It also added green finishes to iPhone 13. The broadcast began at 10:00 a.m. Pacific Standard Time (PST, UTC−08:00; 18:00 UTC) from Apple Park in Cupertino, California. See the official event announcement and Apple’s event replay.

What Apple announced at the March 8 event

• iPhone SE (3rd generation): A familiar 4.7-inch Home button design, updated with A15 Bionic and 5G.
• iPad Air (5th generation): The 10.9-inch tablet gained the M1 chip, 5G on cellular models, and a Center Stage front camera.
• Mac Studio: A new compact desktop computer with M1 Max or M1 Ultra options.
• Studio Display: A separate 27-inch 5K monitor with a camera and built-in audio.
• M1 Ultra: A high-end Apple silicon chip introduced for Mac Studio.
• iPhone 13 colors: Green for iPhone 13 and 13 mini; alpine green for iPhone 13 Pro and 13 Pro Max.

iPhone SE: 5G and A15 in a familiar design

The 2022 iPhone SE was an update to the affordable model, not a redesign based on the iPhone XS. It kept the 4.7-inch display, broad bezels, physical Home button, and Touch ID of the prior SE generation. Its major internal upgrade was the A15 Bionic chip, also used in the iPhone 13 lineup, along with 5G connectivity. Apple said the chip enabled features including Smart HDR 4, Photographic Styles, and Deep Fusion for the single rear camera.

Apple offered the phone in midnight, starlight, and (PRODUCT)RED, with 64GB, 128GB, or 256GB of storage. Its U.S. launch price began at $429—not $399—and preorders opened March 11, 2022, ahead of availability on March 18. See Apple’s iPhone SE announcement for the original specifications and launch details.

iPad Air: M1 power, Center Stage, and 5G

The fifth-generation iPad Air retained its 10.9-inch Liquid Retina display and thin, all-screen design. Its headline change was the M1 chip, replacing the A14 Bionic cited in some early coverage of the event. The tablet also added a 12-megapixel Ultra Wide front camera with Center Stage, which automatically keeps a person in view during supported video calls. Cellular configurations supported 5G, and the USB-C port offered up to twice the previous generation’s transfer speed.

The launch models came in space gray, starlight, pink, purple, and blue, with 64GB or 256GB of storage. In the United States, Wi-Fi models started at $599 and Wi-Fi + Cellular models at $749. Preorders began March 11, with availability from March 18, 2022. The official iPad Air release lists the camera, display, connectivity, colors, and launch configurations.

Mac Studio and Studio Display: a desktop, plus a monitor

Mac Studio was a new desktop computer, not an all-in-one iMac. The compact aluminum computer sits under or beside a display and could be configured with M1 Max or M1 Ultra. That modular setup gave creative professionals a high-performance Mac without requiring them to buy Apple’s new monitor. The U.S. launch price for Mac Studio started at $1,999, and customer availability began March 18, 2022.

Studio Display was announced alongside it but sold as a separate product. It paired a 27-inch 5K Retina screen with a 12-megapixel Ultra Wide camera and Center Stage, a three-microphone array, and a six-speaker system with Spatial Audio. Its U.S. launch price was $1,599. Both were orderable from March 8, with customer availability from March 18. Read Apple’s Mac Studio and Studio Display announcement for the full configurations and pricing.

M1 Ultra: Apple’s top desktop chip at the time

M1 Ultra was the event’s major chip announcement. Apple’s UltraFusion packaging connected two M1 Max dies so the system could operate as one chip. Apple specified 114 billion transistors, a 20-core CPU, a 64-core GPU, a 32-core Neural Engine, and support for up to 128GB of unified memory. It was built for Mac workloads and appeared as a Mac Studio configuration; it was not a chip announced for iPhone, iPad, or laptops.

That context matters because the original draft incorrectly compared M1 Ultra with the iPhone’s A12 Bionic and described it as a chip for phones, tablets, and laptops. Apple positioned it as a desktop-class option above M1 Max. Its M1 Ultra announcement explains the two-die design and supported memory.

New green options for iPhone 13

Apple refreshed existing phones with new colors rather than announcing a new iPhone 13 model. iPhone 13 and iPhone 13 mini became available in green, while iPhone 13 Pro and iPhone 13 Pro Max received an alpine green finish. Preorders started March 11, and Apple listed March 18, 2022, as the availability date. The official color announcement distinguishes the finishes by model.

The event’s core hardware launches were iPhone SE, iPad Air, Mac Studio, and Studio Display, with M1 Ultra powering the top desktop configuration. The phone and tablet kept familiar designs while gaining newer silicon and features.