Live Coverage of Apple's 'Let Us Loop You In' iPhone SE and 9.7" iPad Pro Event

Apple's "Let Us Loop You In" event kicks off at 10:00 AM Pacific Time today, and we're expecting to see several product announcements including a new 4-inch "iPhone SE," an updated 9.7-inch iPad perhaps branded as an "iPad Pro," and a few updates for the Apple Watch line, although upgrades to the watch itself will not be coming today.

We're also expecting to see a full set of operating system upgrades today, as Apple has been beta testing iOS 9.3, OS X 10.11.4, tvOS 9.2, and watchOS 2.2 for several months now. Today's event is being held at the Town Hall auditorium on Apple's headquarters campus in Cupertino.

Apple is providing a live video stream on its website and via Apple TV.

apple_march_2016_il4_banner


In addition to Apple's video stream, we will be updating this article with live blog coverage and issuing Twitter updates through our @MacRumorsLive account as the keynote unfolds. Highlights from the event and separate news stories regarding today's announcements will go out through our @MacRumors account.

Sign up for our newsletter to keep up with Apple news and rumors.

Apple's online stores around the world are currently down in advance of the event.

Archive of Live Updates in Reverse Chronological Order

10:05 am: Cook walks off stage, concluding today's event. Be sure to visit the MacRumors front page and forums for the latest news and discussions about today's announcements.

10:04 am: Cook says Apple is looking forward to moving to its new campus in 2017 to begin its next 40 years of history. He thanks everyone in attendance.

f1458583426

10:03 am: Tim Cook: "This is probably the last product introduction in the Town Hall ever."

10:01 am: iPad mini now starts from $269. iPad Air 2 from $399.

f1458583290

10:01 am: 12.9-inch iPad Pro is also now available in a larger 256GB size for $1,099.

f1458583241

9:59 am: The new iPad Pro will be available for pre-order on March 24. That's this Thursday.

9:58 am: Video demo of new iPad Pro showcasing apps and features.

f1458583062

9:57 am: New 9.7-inch iPad Pro costs $599 (32GB Wi-Fi), $749 (128GB Wi-Fi), and $899 (256GB Wi-Fi). Shipping begins March 31.

9:56 am: Four colors: Silver, Gold, Space Gray and Rose Gold.

9:56 am: 5MP front-facing FaceTime HD camera with Retina Flash.

9:55 am: 12MP iSight camera. Focus Pixels. True Tone Flash. New image signal processor. Panoramas up to 63 megapixels. Live Photos. 4K video recording.

f1458582927

f1458582904

9:54 am: The tablet supports many other accessories through its Smart Connector. Also adapters and peripherals such as a USB Camera Adapter and SD Card Reader.

9:54 am: Apple Pencil and Smart Keyboard support.

9:53 am: Just like the iPhone SE, the new 9.7-inch iPad Pro has an embedded M9 motion coprocessor. Always-on "Hey Siri" support.

f1458582754

9:52 am: 12 cores of graphics power. More than an Xbox 360 in "a device that you hold in the palm of your hands."

9:51 am: A9X chip.

9:51 am: 9.7-inch iPad Pro has four speakers. More than 2x the audio output of iPad Air 2.

f1458582655

9:50 am: The new 9.7-inch iPad Pro has a True Tone display. Two new four-channel ambient light sensors that measure the color temperature of ambient light, and adjusts the display to match.

9:49 am: The new 9.7-inch iPad Pro is 25% brighter than the iPad Air 2. It also has 25% greater color saturation than iPad Air 2.

9:49 am: Same display materials as 12.9-inch iPad Pro. Oxide TFT display. Custom timing controller. Photo alignment for "incredible" contrast ratio and crisp text. Lowest reflectivity of any tablet.

9:48 am: The new iPad Pro is "the ultimate PC replacement." There are over 1 million apps in the App Store to take advantage of.

9:47 am: Schiller: 600 million PCs in use today that are over 5 years old. "These people could really benefit from an iPad Pro."

9:47 am: Schiller believes this new iPad Pro will be the "ultimate upgrade" for those customers. Also for Windows PC users.

9:46 am: Apple says it has sold over 200 million 9.7-inch iPads to date.

f1458582389

9:46 am: Schiller introduces 9.7-inch iPad Pro.

9:44 am: Cook brings up Apple marketing chief Phil Schiller to talk about what's next for iPad.

9:44 am: Tim Cook back on stage. iPad up next.

9:43 am: iOS 9.3 is available as a free update for everyone beginning today.

9:43 am: Apple reiterates that over 100 CarPlay vehicles are available around the world. More are coming. Joswiak is going over CarPlay improvements in iOS 9.3.

9:42 am: (iPhone SE first wave launch countries: U.S., Australia, Canada, China, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Japan, New Zealand, Puerto Rico, Singapore, U.K.)

f1458582067

9:40 am: Apple VP Greg Joswiak is talking about iOS 9.3 features such as Night Shift.

9:39 am: iPhone SE orders begin March 24. Shipping March 31. 110 countries by end of May.

f1458581948

9:38 am: 64GB iPhone SE is available for $499. Two-year contract price is free for 16GB. Financing starts at $17/month for 16GB model.

f1458581880

9:38 am: iPhone SE pricing starts at $399 for 16GB.

9:38 am: Wi-Fi calling. Bluetooth 4.2 Always-on "Hey Siri". Apple Pay. New microphones. Slow-mo up to 240 fps.

9:37 am: LTE is now faster: up to 150 Mbps. More LTE bands. VoLTE. Wi-Fi is up to 3X as fast as iPhone 5s.

9:36 am: Camera improvements: Lots of Focus Pixels. True Tone Flash. New image signal processor. Panoramas can now be up to 63 megapixels. 4K video recording. Edit two simultaneous streams of 4K right on iPhone.

9:35 am: "Incredible" battery improvements and a 12-megapixel rear-facing iSight camera. Same as iPhone 6s camera.

f1458581716

9:35 am: Matte chamfered edges.

9:34 am: iPhone SE has a 4-inch screen. A9 chip performs on the same level as the iPhone 6s. Double the speed of the iPhone 5s.

f1458581604

9:33 am: Apple introduces the iPhone SE.

f1458581440

9:30 am: Cook is running through existing features of the new Apple TV.

f1458581294

f1458581273

9:28 am: Apple TV up next.

9:27 am: Beginning today, Apple Watch starts at $299.

9:27 am: Apple Watch sport and leather bands in new colors for spring. Space Black Milanese Loop as well.

f1458581225

9:27 am: New woven nylon bands for Apple Watch in multiple vibrant colors. Pink, orange, blue, black.

9:25 am: Apple Watch is #1 selling smartwatch. #1 in customer satisfaction.

9:25 am: Tim Cook back on stage. Apple Watch up next.

9:24 am: CareKit is open source and available in April.

9:24 am: CareKit on iPhone has a care card, symptom and measurement tracker, and the ability to share your information with family and medical professionals.

f1458580983

9:22 am: CareKit is a framework for developers to build apps that "empower people to take an an active role in their care."

9:22 am: Apple announces CareKit.

9:20 am: A heartfelt video was played on stage explaining how ResearchKit has transformed research and medicine.

9:16 am: Williams reiterates that ReseachKit provides researchers with insights that "just weren't possible" with traditional health studies.

9:15 am: Cook invites Apple COO Jeff Williams on stage to talk about health initiatives such as ResearchKit.

9:14 am: Tim Cook is back on stage.

f1458580327

9:12 am: Apple introduces Liam, a robot that can break down and separate recyclable materials in iPhones for future use. Video demo shown on stage.

f1458580277

9:10 am: Jackson says that Apple packaging now comes from 99% recycled paper or sustainable forestry initiatives.

9:09 am: Jackson is running through some examples of Apple's renewable energy initiatives in place such as China and Singapore.

9:08 am: Currently, 93% of Apple facilities run on renewable energy. 21 countries around the world using 100% renewable energy.

9:07 am: "Our goal is to become 100% renewable in 100% of our operations worldwide. That's all of our offices. All of our retail stores. And every single one of our data centers."

f1458579999

9:06 am: Cook invites Lisa Jackson, Apple's Vice President of Environment, Policy and Social Initiatives, on stage.

9:05 am: "Let's get back to why you're here this morning…"

9:04 am: Cook brings up the ongoing Apple-FBI debate. He says it is important for Americans to "join in the conversation." Apple is grateful for the "overwhelming support" it has received from customers around the world.

9:03 am: Cook reiterates that there are more than 1 billion active Apple devices right now.

f1458579764

9:02 am: Tim Cook is on stage to much applause.

9:02 am: Apple turns 40 on April 1, 2016.

9:01 am: Apple event begins with a video showcasing the company's 40-year history.8:55 am: Apple's web stream is now live with Beats 1 music playing in the background. Tip: you need to be using Safari or Microsoft Edge.

f1458578140

8:35 am: Media are now being let into the Town Hall auditorium.8:14 am: Photo by Chris Ciaccia

8:10 am: Media and guests are getting registered and taking advantage of Apple's food and drink selections.

8:06 am: Less than one hour remaining until Apple's event starts at 10:00 a.m. Pacific (1 p.m. Eastern). Stay tuned!

Related Roundups: Apple Watch 10, iPad Pro
Related Forum: iPhone

Popular Stories

iPadOS 26 App Windowing

Apple Explains Why iPads Don't Just Run macOS

Friday June 13, 2025 7:46 am PDT by
iPadOS 26 allows iPads to function much more like Macs, with a new app windowing system, a swipe-down menu bar at the top of the screen, and more. However, Apple has stopped short of allowing iPads to run macOS, and it has now explained why. In an interview this week with Swiss tech journalist Rafael Zeier, Apple's software engineering chief Craig Federighi said that iPadOS 26's new Mac-like ...
iphone 16 pro models 1

17 Reasons to Wait for the iPhone 17

Thursday June 12, 2025 8:58 am PDT by
Apple's iPhone development roadmap runs several years into the future and the company is continually working with suppliers on several successive iPhone models simultaneously, which is why we often get rumored features months ahead of launch. The iPhone 17 series is no different, and we already have a good idea of what to expect from Apple's 2025 smartphone lineup. If you skipped the iPhone...
Logitech Logo Feature

Logitech Announces Two New Accessories for WWDC

Friday June 13, 2025 7:22 am PDT by
Alongside WWDC this week, Logitech announced notable new accessories for the iPad and Apple Vision Pro. The Logitech Muse is a spatially-tracked stylus developed for use with the Apple Vision Pro. Introduced during the WWDC 2025 keynote address, Muse is intended to support the next generation of spatial computing workflows enabled by visionOS 26. The device incorporates six degrees of...
iPhone 17 Pro Blue Feature Tighter Crop

iPhone 17 Pro Launching in Three Months With These 12 New Features

Saturday June 14, 2025 5:45 pm PDT by
The iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max are three months away, and there are plenty of rumors about the devices. Below, we recap key changes rumored for the iPhone 17 Pro models as of June 2025:Aluminum frame: iPhone 17 Pro models are rumored to have an aluminum frame, whereas the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro models have a titanium frame, and the iPhone X through iPhone 14 Pro have a...
iOS 26 Screens

Here Are All the iOS 26 Features That Require iPhone 15 Pro or Newer

Thursday June 12, 2025 4:53 am PDT by
With iOS 26, Apple has introduced some major changes to the iPhone experience, headlined by the new Liquid Glass redesign that's available across all compatible devices. However, several of the update's features are exclusive to iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 16 models, since they rely on Apple Intelligence. The following features are powered by on-device large language models and machine...
CarPlay Liquid Glass Dark

Apple to Let iPhone Users Watch Videos on CarPlay Screen While Parked

Thursday June 12, 2025 6:16 am PDT by
Apple this week announced that iPhone users will soon be able to watch videos right on the CarPlay screen in supported vehicles. iPhone users will be able to wirelessly stream videos to the CarPlay screen using AirPlay, according to Apple. For safety reasons, video playback will only be available when the vehicle is parked, to prevent distracted driving. The connected iPhone will be able to...
iOS 26 on Three iPhones

Hate iOS 26's Liquid Glass Design? Here's How to Tone It Down

Wednesday June 11, 2025 4:22 pm PDT by
iOS 26 features a whole new design material that Apple calls Liquid Glass, with a focus on transparency that lets the content on your display shine through the controls. If you're not a fan of the look, or are having trouble with readability, there is a step that you can take to make things more opaque without entirely losing out on the new look. Apple has multiple Accessibility options that ...
Mac Studio Feature

Apple Begins Selling Refurbished Mac Studio With M4 Max and M3 Ultra Chips at a Discount

Thursday June 12, 2025 10:14 am PDT by
Apple today added Mac Studio models with M4 Max and M3 Ultra chips to its online certified refurbished store in the United States, Canada, Japan, Singapore, and many European countries, for the first time since they were released in March. As usual for refurbished Macs, prices are discounted by approximately 15% compared to the equivalent new models on Apple's online store. Note that Apple's ...
iOS 26 Feature

Apple Seeds Revised iOS 26 Developer Beta to Fix Battery Issue

Friday June 13, 2025 10:15 am PDT by
Apple today provided developers with a revised version of the first iOS 26 beta for testing purposes. The update is only available for the iPhone 15 and iPhone 16 models, so if you're running iOS 26 on an iPhone 14 or earlier, you won't see the revised beta. Registered developers can download the new beta software through the Settings app on each device. The revised beta addresses an...

Top Rated Comments

profmjh Avatar
121 months ago
Wow. I cannot believe how ungrateful you people are.

Did you not read the information? Did you not see the incredible technological and design achievement?

Apple Watch now comes with a nylon strap. Not just some ordinary nylon strap, no sir. This one has -- and I'm quoting here -- over 500 threads woven together in a unique, colourful pattern. Yes, you read that right. Over 500. Woven. Colourful pattern. Unique. No-one else has ever done stripy watch straps before. Made of nylon. In colourful patterns.

It gets better. Monofilaments connect four layers of the weave to create a single durable strap with a comfortable, fabric-like feel. That's right: monofilaments. Four layers. Durable. Comfortable. Fabric-like.

I'm buying ten. In each colour. Right now.
Score: 18 Votes (Like | Disagree)
PoppaKap Avatar
121 months ago
Apple should've just skipped the event and updated the website with these products.
Score: 16 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Radon87000 Avatar
121 months ago
Hey Phil,my 5 year old PC has a GTX 970 SLI config.It destroys your iPad Pro
Score: 14 Votes (Like | Disagree)
td1439 Avatar
121 months ago
Oh, it's f.lux
Score: 13 Votes (Like | Disagree)
ChrisNM Avatar
121 months ago
WHY the bitching and/or gloom and doom conclusion jumping? S***'s annoying, and makes people look like whiny, entitled kids.
Personally, I don't think it is whiny or unreasonable to expect Apple to introduce MacBook Pros with the new Skylake processors when all of their competitors did it 5 months ago. I think it is a legitimate criticism.
Score: 12 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Piggie Avatar
121 months ago
"The Ultimate PC Replacement"

Wow, that must go down in history as THE dumbest thing anyone has ever said about computing......!
Score: 11 Votes (Like | Disagree)