Apple will announce major changes to its iPad lineup during the Let Loose event, which takes place on May 7 at 7:00 AM Pacific Time (7:30 PM Indian time). During the online event, CEO Tim Cook is expected to announce new iPad Air and Pro models, as well as upgrades to the Apple Pencil and Magic Keyboard.
Notably, the Let Loose event will be very different from next month's Worldwide Developer Conference as it will focus on new iPad announcements, while during WWDC Apple could unveil new software updates for iPhones, iPads, Macs and more .
Here's everything we know about the possible announcements during the Let Loose event:
1) iPad Air with 12.9 inch screen:
It has long been speculated that Apple will finally offer a larger 12.9-inch version of the iPad Air, giving users a larger screen previously reserved for the Pro series. Reports suggest that Apple could offer the new iPad Air series in two sizes: 12.9 inches and 10.9 inches.
Meanwhile, Apple is not expected to make any significant changes to the display technology of the iPad Air series, and the tablet is expected to have the same LCD screen as previous versions, just in a larger size. By comparison, the iPad Pro series previously featured a mini-LED display and could even be upgraded with an OLED panel this year.
In terms of processing power, the iPad Air is likely to get an upgrade from the current generation and could be powered by Apple's M2 chipset. Apple also plans to unveil a new Magic Keyboard and Apple Pencil (3rd generation) at the Let Loose event, but it's not yet clear whether these accessories will support the iPad Air range or be reserved for the Pro models.
2) OLED iPad Pro with M4 chipsets:
According to a recent report from Bloomberg's Mark Gurnman, Apple will likely upgrade the iPad Pro lineup with OLED display technology, which has been a staple of iPhones since 2017. The addition of the OLED display is expected to result in better image quality, as well as a reduction in bezels, leading to an overall thinner tablet. The 12.9-inch variant of the iPad Pro could be around 20% thinner than its predecessor, while the 11-inch variant could be 15% thinner.
Furthermore, Gurnman's latest leak suggests that Apple will introduce the M4 chipset for the first time ever with the iPad Pro series. The addition of the M4 chipset will likely help support some of the Apple tablet's heavy artificial intelligence tasks, which will likely be better explained at the WWDC event in June.
In rather unwelcome news for customers, recent reports suggest that Apple may also increase the prices of the iPad Pro range. A report from 9to5Mac suggests that Apple could increase the prices of its premium tablets by up to $100.
3) Update for Magic Keyboard and Apple Pencil:
Apple is likely to unveil the Apple Pencil (3rd generation) and a new version of its Magic Keyboard at its Let Loose event on Tuesday.
According to Gurnman, the Apple Pencil will be one of the highlights of the Let Loose event, which isn't surprising since Apple has already included a pencil in its logo for the event. The next generation Apple Pencil is likely to receive support for haptic feedback, Find My, and a new 'pinch' gesture to control certain tasks.
Meanwhile, the next-generation Magic Keyboard is expected to have a more aluminum base, which could give the iPad a laptop-like look, and the new keyboard could also come with a larger trackpad.
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Published: May 5, 2024 3:06 PM IST