It’s been a long time since Apple introduced a new iPad — October 2022, to be precise. In his latest newsletter, Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman reinforces his belief that Apple will finally reveal new iPads this spring, perhaps as early as the end of this month.
The Apple expert had previously noted that Apple would release new MacBook Airs and iPads at the beginning of the year. The first part of this promise came to fruition earlier this month when Apple revealed the M3 MacBook Air.
Gurman believes Apple plans to unveil new iPad Pro and iPad Air models this time. New versions of the regular iPad and iPad mini most likely won’t arrive until later this year.
It is unclear why Apple has delayed the release of a new iPad until now. However, at least one model of the iPad Pro is expected to come with an OLED display, an upgrade from the current mini-LED display on the 12.9-inch model. OLED displays are known for their superior color accuracy and contrast, and they also consume less power, which may improve battery life. (They’re also more expensive to produce.)
According to rumors, the upcoming iPad Pro tablets may have larger displays than the current models. The current iPad Pro models have 11-inch and 12.9-inch displays, but it’s speculated that the 2024 models could feature 11.1-inch and 13-inch displays instead. Both models are also expected to feature the M3 chip, and their maximum storage capacity may increase to 4TB from the current 2TB.
On the other hand, Apple currently offers only one model of the iPad Air. However, the company may introduce a new 12.9-inch model to complement the existing 10.9-inch version. Both models are likely to feature LCDs instead of OLED displays.
Will all of that be enough to justify new iPads after more than a year’s absence? That’s what we’re waiting to see. The iPad lineup, as a whole, has felt a bit stagnant for some time now. Will OLED displays and a larger iPad Air be what Apple needs? Hopefully, we’ll have that answer before the month is up.
