Apple is holding an education-focused event on March 27th

Well, can't say we saw this one coming. We were expecting Apple to take some time this month to talk about a sequel to its popular, low-cost iPad, and maybe even share some more information about its long-awaited wireless charging mat. Instead, Apple just sent out invites to an education-focused press event on March 27 where the company will discuss "creative new ideas for teachers and students" at a high school in Chicago.

The drastic change in locale is a clear signal that this event is far from Apple's business as usual, but it would still make sense for Apple to talk about the future of its cheap iPads. Remember, inexpensive, easy-to-manage machines like Chromebooks have become widely used for schools looking to make sure classrooms are more connected and students are more digitally literate. This might be Apple's next attempt at claiming a larger chunk of that market for itself, but for now, we'll just have to wait 11 days and see for ourselves.