Bloomberg's Apple insider Mark Gurman reports in the latest edition of his "Power On" newsletter that Apple is planning to announce new iPad Pro and iPad Air models the week of May 6.
Gurman states that 2024 will be the year of the iPad. According to the report, the announcement will bring new iPad Pro models in 11-inch and 13-inch sizes featuring new OLED displays, along with a 12.9-inch iPad Air, as well as refreshed Magic Keyboard and Apple Pencil accessories.
The new iPad Pro is expected to see significantly improved image quality thanks to its OLED display, achieving deeper contrast and brightness. The design is also expected to be refreshed, with an overall thinner chassis, and the front camera is expected to move to the side edge. The latest M3 chip is also anticipated to be included.
However, these added-value features are expected to drive up the price range, and Gurman has also touched on this possibility.
As another option for large-screen tablets, the new 12.9-inch iPad Air offers a bigger screen form factor while still providing a more affordable option. It remains unclear whether the new iPad Air will get a spec bump to the M2 chip from the current M1.
Regarding new accessories, according to iPadOS beta code, the new Pencil appears to feature a new gesture function that works by simply gripping it. The new Magic Keyboard for iPad Pro will have an aluminum base and a larger trackpad, moving the design closer to that of a laptop.
Gurman predicts that updates to the base model iPad and iPad mini won't arrive until at least the end of the year. According to him, the Mini will only see a processor spec bump, remaining a minor improvement.
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