Apple fans eagerly awaiting the release of the first OLED iPad Pro tablets may have been left puzzled by conflicting reports. Initially rumored to be launching on March 26th, the 11-inch and 12.9-inch OLED panels on the iPad Pro (2024) were expected to debut alongside the 2024 10.9-inch iPad Air and a new 12.9-inch iPad Air. The latter was introduced to provide a more budget-friendly option compared to the higher-priced iPad Pro featuring the premium OLED display.
However, Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman dispelled the March release date speculation, suggesting a late April launch instead. In his recent Power On newsletter and on Twitter, he now points to a potential release during the week of May 6th, with Apple Stores anticipated to receive updated marketing materials around that time – a typical precursor to a new product launch according to Gurman.
The delay in releasing the new tablets was attributed to issues faced by suppliers manufacturing the OLED panels for the iPad Pro models. These upcoming devices are said to be powered by the advanced 3nm M3 chipset, with notable changes such as repositioning the front-facing camera in landscape orientation, introducing a new camera island design, and possible MagSafe wireless charging support.
In addition to the refreshed 12.9-inch model, the iPad Air (2024) is set for its own upgrades including landscape-oriented front-facing camera placement and powered by a 4nm M2 chipset. Exciting accessory updates are also on the horizon, such as a new Apple Pencil rumored to feature a “squeeze” function for quick access to stickers, shapes, signatures, or text – enhancing user interaction with this popular tool.
Furthermore, speculations suggest that Apple is planning to unveil a new lower-end iPad model and an updated iPad mini before year-end. Instead of hosting traditional events for these launches, Apple might opt for press releases – reminiscent of their approach last year when no new iPads were unveiled for the first time since 2010.
Stay tuned for more updates on these highly-anticipated releases as we eagerly await further details from Apple!
