Rumors of the launch of new OLED iPad Pro and refreshed 6th-gen iPad Air tablets have been rumbling for months and now it appears that we might finally have a timeframe for when they will be announced. After missing a rumored March 26 launch date, it now appears that May will be the month when Apple will finally take the wraps off its next tablet updates.
The new iPads are reportedly entering mass production overseas with the plan being to announce the new tablets in May, although a more concrete timeframe has not been shared. This is according to unnamed sources speaking with Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman after the well-connected journalist had previously said that Apple may choose an April launch window depending on the availability of a required iPadOS software update.
The launch of the new tablets would be the first in more than a year after Apple went through the whole fo 2023 without any new tablets being announced.
May is the day
Gurman shared the news in a Bloomberg report which noted that the release “will center on revamped versions of the iPad Pro and iPad Air.”
The new iPad Pro is expected to feature an OLED display for the first time and be powered by an M3 chip. Apple’s new iPad Air is expected to use an M2 chip while the 11-inch version will be joined with an all-new 12.9-inch option for the very first time. The new tablet will be an alternative to the more costly iPad Pro for those who want a larger tablet but don’t need the extra power — or expense — of Apple’s top-of-the-line model.
Apple is also expected to unveil the Apple Pencil 3 as well as a new Magic Keyboard with a metal construction. There has also been talk of the Apple Vision Pro supporting the Apple Pencil, but it’s unclear if that will work with this model or a future one.