Apple is preparing to make a major announcement next month, according to a new report.

The iPhone maker is expected to reveal some important news – but tipsters say a new gadget isn't on the cards.

Instead, Apple is reportedly plotting to launch a paid-for subscription service for news.

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That's according to BuzzFeed News, which cites sources who say the event will be held at the new Steve Jobs Theatre on the recently-completed Apple Park campus in California.

Normally Apple events are reserved for new gadgets – like an iPhone 11 or last year's Apple Watch 4 – so the rumored March 25 keynote would be a break from tradition.

However, Apple has been holding events in March for years, so it's not entirely surprising news.

It's also no secret that Apple may be working on a news subscription service.

We've seen endless reports over the past year suggesting that Apple wants to bundle together magazine and newspaper subscriptions into a monthly plan.

Apple already offers a similar service for free called Apple News, which aggregates top stories from free providers.

But this new service would combine content from news services who lock their content behind a paywall.

However, this is already proving extremely controversial.

According to the Wall Street Journal, Apple wants to charge users about $10 (likely £10, too) for the paid Apple News service.

But it also says Apple only wants to give 50% of that fee to news publishers – and keep the rest for itself.

According to the report, both the New York Times and the Washington Post have rejected deals because the terms are too poor.

Of course, Apple hasn't confirmed any details about an upcoming event, or even the existence of a paid-for news service.

It was previously rumored that Apple would debut new Apple AirPods 2 wireless earbuds in March, but that may no longer be the case.

We spoke to expert analyst Dan Ives, of Wedbush Securities, who said he thinks rumors of a news service launch are true – but fresh gadgets could also be on the way soon.

"In a sign of the times at Apple this planned event for late March will be focused on the subscription news service with hints for more content services to come later this year around the much anticipated video service," industry watcher Dan told The Sun.

"The news service is not moving the needle for Apple bulls but it speaks to a strategic shift within Cupertino to focus on services separate than hardware releases.

"We believe there will be another event in April at which point we expect iPad and product announcements to be launched.

"With much pushback from publishers Apple is realizing this news service bundle will have its share of hurdles to find success with consumers as well as content partners."

We've asked Apple for comment and will update this story with any response.

This story originally appeared in The Sun.