Earlier this week we received some surprising news from Cupertino. After weeks of reported delays, Apple announced that it will host an event on May 7 with the slogan Let Loose that will presumably feature new iPads. That would be 559 days since the announcement of the 10th generation iPad and iPad Pro M2 and even longer since the iPad Air M1 arrived at the Peek Performance event (March 2022).
That’s an extremely long wait for new iPads; the longest ever, in fact. Apple had never gone a full calendar year without releasing a new iPad or an update, let alone nearly halfway through the second year. To say that there is huge anticipation for the new iPads is therefore an understatement. We expect several new tablets and accessories to appear at the event, including:
- Updated iPad Air with 10.9-inch screen and M2 processor
- New 12.9-inch iPad Air with an M2 processor
- Updated 11-inch iPad Pro with M3 processor and OLED display
- Updated 12.9-inch iPad Pro with M3 processor and OLED display
- A new Apple Pencil with a squeeze gesture
- A new magic keyboard
There may be – and probably will be – other surprises, but we don’t expect the iPad mini or entry-level iPad to receive an update at the event .
Based on Tim Cook’s invitation and cheeky message, Apple will build on the creative side of the iPad, with a focus on drawing and painting, new things that the Apple Pencil can do what to do and the color advantages of the new OLED in the iPad Pro. screen. But when the fanfare dies down, the new iPad line could be very similar to the existing one, with higher prices.
It’s possible that Apple has a refined design, interesting accessories, and new features that are worth waiting 18+ months for updates. But more likely, they’ll just be the same old iPads we’ve been waiting for for a long time.
You can keep up to date with all the latest rumors in our iPad Air and iPad Pro roundups ahead of the event.
