Apple has scheduled an event called „Let Loose“ for May 7, during which we expect it to debut new iPads. With that in mind, here’s what we want to see in this year’s iPad lineup.
Apple hasn’t debuted a new iPad since 2022 and several models are overdue for an update. The company already announced new MacBooks in March and fresh tablets are likely to come next. Apple recently sent out invitations for a May 7 event called „Let Loose.“ The online-only event features an artistic drawing that includes an Apple Pencil, one of the iPad’s key accessories. „Let Loose“ is scheduled for 7 a.m. PT/10 a.m. ET. You can watch live at apple.com/apple-events.
Here’s what we want from the new generation of iPads and what’s rumored so far.2024 iPad Pro
Apple last updated the iPad Pro line in the fall of 2022. We saw new 11- and 12.9-inch tablets from the company, both of which adopted the M2 processor but otherwise remained mostly the same as the previous two generations. That leaves us hungry for big changes.
For starters, it’s past time the iPad Pro adopted OLED displays. Samsung has been using OLED in its Galaxy Tab S line for years. OLED displays would allow iPads to produce deeper blacks and more accurate color—something vital for the photo and video creators Apple claims the Pro is for. Rumors concerning OLED displays for Apple’s 2024 iPads have been around since 2022 and have gained traction in recent months.
Could a matte OLED screen be an option? A report from Weibo suggests as much, claiming that the new Pro will be available in „glossy and matte screen versions.“ A matte screen would be less reflective and easier to use outdoors or in other spaces with lots of light. The matte version would likely cost more. Apple sells a nano-texture version of its Studio Display that’s $300 more than the standard glass model.
The timing of the event has been in question for some time. The new iPads were originally expected in March and then April and eventually May. According to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, „I’ve repeatedly said that new software for the iPad Pro—a variant of iPadOS 17.4 designed for the updated models—won’t be complete until the end of March or even sometime in April. Once the OS is finished, Apple needs to send it off to the factories to be installed on the new hardware. That process could last a couple weeks, probably taking us deeper into [April].“ At the end of March, Gurman cited ongoing software work as one potential issue behind the launch timeframe delay.
Beyond the benefits of the OLED display itself, the Pro iPads could gain another advantage from the advanced display tech: a thinner chassis. OLED panels are thinner than the LED panels in the current-gen Pros. Mockups suggest the 12.9-inch iPad Pro could trim its thickness from 6.5mm to as little as 5mm, which could also help with its weight. Moreover, the screen size is expected to grow slightly to 13 inches. The 11-inch model display would stay the same size but the tablet itself could lose as much as 0.8mm in thickness.
Next, Apple needs to remember that professional users want to look professional on video calls. That means doing away with the side-mounted TrueDepth camera and moving it to the center of the tablet’s long edge. The current iPad Pros make you look like a goof on camera with low and off-center angles during video chats. Apple already made this change to the standard iPad model. It’s an overdue update for the Pro line. Happily, this change is widely expected. It would also be great if Apple upgraded the user-facing camera from 1080p video capture to 4K video capture for sharper Zoom calls.
Something else pros need? Ports. The iPad Pro’s single USB-C port just doesn’t cut it. Adding a second USB-C port would go a long way toward improving the peripheral story for the iPad Pro. There aren’t too many reports suggesting that more ports are on the way, though Bloomberg’s Gurman believes we may see the addition of MagSafe charging.
