Reports suggest that Apple will hold a March 2016 event to launch Watch 2, iPhone 6c and iPad Air 3

If rumours are to believed, Apple will hold its next special event in March 2016, where it'll unveil three highly-anticipated new products: the Apple Watch 2, iPhone 6c and iPad Air 3. Here's what we know so far.

At the end of January, rumours about a March event flooded the web after months of much quieter speculation, and the current consensus suggests that the week of 14 March is the one to mark in your diaries.

Anonymous sources have reportedly told 9To5Mac that the iPad Air 3 is the most likely new product coming at the March event. Apple surprised us by skipping an October event this year, which traditionally sees updates to the iPad range. Instead, Apple unveiled the all-new iPad Pro and a new iPad mini 4 at its busy event in September alongside the new iPhones.

That means the iPad Air is overdue an update, so a March event to unveil the new model seems likely.

Additionally, though, we could see the introduction of the Apple Watch 2, or at least an Apple Watch update of some kind, one year on from the device's original launch event. Plus, a 4in iPhone 6c, which rumours now suggest will in fact be called the iPhone 5se, could make an appearance too.

Apple has held other events in March over the years, including the launch of the Apple Watch and MacBook in 2015 and the launch of the iPad 3 back in 2012.

Apple March event rumours: Apple Watch 2

Rumours suggest that the Apple Watch 2 will appear at that event but that it won't ship until April, a year after the first Apple Watch went on sale.

The new Watch is said to offer sleep tracking and better health sensor technologies. It may also offer better battery life, a FaceTime camera, and crucially that it will be less reliant on the iPhone.

But 9To5Mac seems to suggest that we might not get a full Apple Watch update at the March event but rather new models of the original Apple Watch instead. This could include new Sports Band options, additional colours of the new Hermes bands, a black version of the Milanese Lopp and an all-new line of bands made from a different material. There could also be updates to the Apple Watch's software.

Read more about the Apple Watch 2 launch date and new features here.

Read next: Which Apple Watch should you buy? | Apple Watch review | Best Apple Watch apps | Best Apple Watch games | Apple Watch tips & secrets

Apple March event rumours: iPhone 6c

In our poll of almost 2,000 people that asked what their ideal size of iPhone would be, 48% voted 4in, and it looks like they may soon get their wish. Rumour has it that an iPhone 6c is coming and that it could arrive in the Spring, presumably at the March event.

The new 4in iPhone, which is said to come in a colourful metalic case (rather than the iPhone 5c plastic case), is expected to offer an improved camera compared to the iPhone 5s, an A8 processor and Touch ID. And it might be called the iPhone 5se (for Special Edition, apparently).

Read more about the iPhone 6c launch date and new features here.

Apple March event rumours: iPad Air 3

The iPad Air wasn't updated in 2015 so it is expected to see an update soon, and the rumoured March event would be perfect for this launch.

The rumours suggest that the iPad Air 3 will be even thinner than the iPad Air 2, that the aluminium it is crafted from will be even stronger than the current model, that a rose gold version might make an appearance, and that the megapixel count on the camera might improve.

We also expect that A9X chip (as found in the iPad Pro) might appear in the new iPad Air 3.

Read more about the iPad Air 3 launch date and new features here.

Apple March event rumours: New MacBook Air

Another product rumoured to be in the pipeline is an update to the MacBook Air with the 11in model disappearing from the line up and a new 15in model being added.

There have been some rumours that it may gain a Retina screen, but it seems unlikely as that would put it in competiton with the MacBook Pro and the MacBook, and we imagine that Apple wants to keep the price down.

It is likley that the new MacBook Air will gain Force Touch features, however.

Read more about the new MacBook Air release date and new features here.

Read more about all the new Apple products expected in 2016 here.

On the following page you can read about last year's March event at which Apple launched the original Apple Watch and the MacBook...