Rumor: Apple to hold event this month to unveil Retina MacBook Air & finalize Apple Watch specs

Word of a potential late-February event was reported on Wednesday by French Apple publication iGen, citing unnamed sources. Specifically, it was said that Tuesday, Feb. 24, could be a likely date for such an event to unveil upcoming products.

Rumors have suggested that Apple will launch an all-new 12-inch MacBook Air with a thinner chassis this quarter, which concludes at the end of March. A late February event could set Apple up to debut the new MacBook Air within that timeframe.

It's expected that the redesigned MacBook Air will sport a high-resolution 12-inch Retina display. There have also been claims that the device will feature the new, smaller, reversible USB 3.0 port.

As for the Apple Watch, although Apple offered a preview of the device and its appearance last September, the company has been working behind the scenes to finalize the hardware and software ahead of its launch in April. A February event could give Apple an opportunity to offer more specifics on the upcoming wearable device, such as battery life.

Another potential product unveiling could be a so-called "iPad Pro," rumored to feature a 12.2-inch display. However, it's been reported that the device may not launch until the second quarter of 2015, making it potentially a candidate for WWDC.

Apple hasn't held a major event early in the year in a few years, instead waiting to unveil new products at its annual Worldwide Developers Conference in June. The last time Apple held a major product unveiling event in the first quarter of the calendar year was for the third-generation iPad in 2012.

iGen has a respectable track record in predicting Apple's future plans. Last fall, the site got its hands on Foxconn schematics that showed the final design of the iPhone 6, and the site also predicted the launch details for Apple's latest-generation handsets.