Hours before Apple's next virtual event, tipster leaks specs for some devices

Tipster Evan Blass has disseminated a tweet with some rumored specs related to the new devices that Apple could be unveiling tomorrow. For example, Blass expects that the fourth-generation iPad Air will be powered by the 5nm A14 Bionic chipset. That would bring some power to the tablet, which will be manufactured by TSMC and includes 15 billion transistors in each chip. The 10.8-inch slate could also benefit from the more battery-efficient chipset. A previous leak posted by another source revealed how the redesigned tablet would look with thinner bezels and an edge-to-edge display; the Touch ID button integrates with the tablet's side-mounted power button, and Blass says that the tablet's proprietary Lightning port is being replaced with a USB-C  port.

Blass also believes that we could see a new budget iPad, the eighth-generation model. He expects the device to feature an A12X Bionic SoC, the octa-core chip that was first used on the third-generation iPad Pro released in 2018. Unlike the 4th-gen iPad Air, the new iPad is expected to use Apple's own Lightning system.

The tipster says that the new Apple Watch Series 6 will employ the S4 chip, which seems strange considering that the Series 5 model has an S4 chip inside. And there should be two sizes of the wearable (possibly 40mm and 44mm according to an earlier leak). Expect to see both a Bluetooth and an LTE model made available. Blass tweets information about a lower-priced Apple Watch SE; according to Blass, this watch will also be available in two sizes (40mm and 42mm says another tipster who adds that it won't include an electrocardiogram). The Apple Watch SE will also be offered in Bluetooth and LTE variants.

While the name of the event, "Time Flies," suggests that the focus will be on the Apple Watch, there is also the possibility that the name has something to do with the LiDAR depth sensor. Why? Because the component is a "Time-of-flight" sensor that times how long it takes for infrared light to bounce off of a subject and return to the device. This produces information that can be used to deliver more accurate data for enhanced AR capabilities and improved portraits.

Apple will be hosting the event virtually starting at 10 am Tuesday Pacific Time (1 pm Tuesday Eastern Time). You can view it on Apple's YouTube channel starting at the aforementioned times.