Apple planning product launch on March 21

SAN FRANCISCO – Apple will hold its spring product launch on March 21, one day before it squares off with federal prosecutors over the government’s demand for help unlocking an encrypted iPhone.

Analysts and tech blogs are expecting Apple will announce a new, 4-inch iPhone, a smaller iPad Pro and new bands for the Apple Watch. But the company provided no details with its announcement of the event, in keeping with its usual effort to build anticipation for its new products.

An invitation sent to reporters Thursday said only “Let us loop you in.” Apple’s headquarters is located on a road called Infinite Loop in Cupertino, California.

Apple’s twice-yearly product events are highly anticipated, and the speculation that precedes them is rampant.

A 4-inch iPhone would reverse an industry trend, which has turned out larger and larger screens. The most recent iPhone models have come with 4.7- or 5.5-inch screens, which have sold well, particularly in Asian countries.

But with sales now starting to plateau, analysts say Apple could spark additional demand by offering an updated 4-inch iPhone alongside the bigger models. The smaller phone is expected to sell at a lower price and would appeal to those who never bought into the larger screens. In an upgrade from older 4-inch iPhones, the new model is expected to have a faster processor and features like Apple Pay, which until now has been available only on larger iPhones.

Similarly, Apple has been trying to boost sagging iPad sales by offering more sizes and models. The new iPad tablet is expected to be a 9.7-inch version of the iPad Pro. While the new model will be the same size as Apple’s regular iPads, it’s also a step back from the first iPad Pro, which has a larger, 12.9-inch screen and other features, for professional users – including a thin, detachable keyboard and stylus that are sold separately.