Apple to hold special event on April 20

FILE PHOTO: The Apple Inc logo is seen hanging at the entrance to the Apple store on 5th Avenue in Manhattan, New York, U.S., October 16, 2019. REUTERS/Mike Segar/File Photo

(Reuters) - Apple Inc said on Tuesday it was holding a special event on April 20, with many expecting the tech giant to launch new iPad Pro models and other products ahead of its annual developers' conference in June.

Apple's cryptic invitation for the media did not give much away and read: "Spring Loaded." The event will be live-streamed on the company's website from its campus in Cupertino, California, it added.

Earlier, Apple's virtual assistant Siri, which is known for stone walling curious Apple fans quizzing it about new products and upcoming events by directing them to the company's website, prematurely revealed the iPhone maker's plan to hold an event next Tuesday.

When asked by Reuters reporters about Apple's next event on their iPhones, Siri responded by displaying a message that said, "the special event is on Tuesday, April 20th, at Apple Park in Cupertino, CA. You can get all the details on Apple.com."

Apple typically launches new hardware in March before releasing the latest version of its iOS software at its annual developers' conference later in the summer.

This year, the company is yet to host any product-launch events although technology news websites have speculated that the company may unveil new iPad Pro models and the long-awaited device tracker, dubbed AirTags, at the upcoming event.

Known for splashy launches packed with hundreds of journalists at its sprawling campus, Apple has turned to virtual events since last year because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

(Reporting by Subrat Patnaik in Bengaluru and Stephen Nellis in San Francisco; Editing by Bernard Orr and Anil D'Silva)