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Apple will likely launch new iPad Air, iPad Pro, and MacBook Air models "around the end of March," according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. In his Power On newsletter today, he said production is well underway for the new iPad Pro models and a new 13-inch MacBook Air at a minimum within Apple's supply chain in Asia.

iPad-Air-12.9-Inch-Feature.jpg

Below, we reiterate Gurman's expectations for the new iPads and Macs, along with other rumored features and changes for the devices.

iPad Air

The iPad Air lineup is expected to gain a new 12.9-inch display size alongside an updated 10.9-inch model.

Rumored and/or likely features for the next iPad Air models include Apple's M2 chip for faster performance, a redesigned rear camera bump, Wi-Fi 6E support, and Bluetooth 5.3. No major external design changes are expected.

The current fifth-generation iPad Air with the M1 chip was released in March 2022.

iPad Pro

The next 11-inch and 13-inch iPad Pro models are widely expected to be the first iPads equipped with OLED displays.

OLED technology would enable the next iPad Pro displays to offer increased brightness, more vivid colors, higher contrast ratio, lower power consumption, and other benefits compared to existing models with LCD panels. Apple already uses OLED displays for the latest iPhone and Apple Watch models, excluding the lower-end iPhone SE.

M3-iPad-Feature-3.jpg

Due to the switch to OLED, the next iPad Pro models are expected to be more expensive.

iPad Pro models released in 2017 and later support ProMotion, allowing for a variable refresh rate between 24Hz and 120Hz. OLED and LTPO display technology would likely allow for the refresh rate to drop down further to 10Hz or lower to save battery life. iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro models can reach as low as 1Hz while in always-on display mode.

Other rumored and/or likely features for the next iPad Pro models include Apple's latest M3 chip for faster performance, MagSafe wireless charging, a redesigned Magic Keyboard with a larger trackpad and an aluminum top casing, and a landscape-oriented front camera. There may also be rear camera design changes, like on the next iPad Air models.

The current iPad Pro models with the M2 chip were released in October 2022.

MacBook Air

While the current 13-inch and 15-inch MacBook Air launched a year apart due to production delays, the models should be updated simultaneously this March. The key new feature for the laptops will be Apple's latest M3 chip.

macbook-air-spacegray-purple.jpg

With the M3 chip, the next MacBook Air models will gain hardware-accelerated ray tracing and mesh shading for improved graphics rendering in games, including more accurate lighting, reflections, and shadows. Apple already updated the 14-inch MacBook Pro, 16-inch MacBook Pro, and 24-inch iMac with the M3 chip last year.

No major design changes are expected for the MacBook Air this year, but the laptop will likely gain support for Wi-Fi 6E like other Macs.

Apple last updated the 13-inch MacBook Air in July 2022, while the first-ever 15-inch MacBook Air was released in June 2023.

Article Link: Gurman: New iPads and Macs Likely to Launch in Late March
 
The "key new feature" I need to jump on an M3 MBair is much more competitively-priced RAM & SSD. I would have owned an M2air from launch day if RAM & SSD upgrades were NOT 3X-5X retail pricing of the same from Amazon and similar.

Else, I'll just keep squeezing whatever remaining life I have with an old MB, possibly marching towards a PC laptop replacement if Apple doesn't choose consumer value over shareholder maximization on this matter when I HAVE to buy a replacement. I do NOT want to do that but I will not pay Premium+++ for commodity parts like RAM & SSD. Enough is enough!
 
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Been playing for a while to buy an iPad Pro. Thought about getting the M2, but I think that I should wait and see if the M3 will bring any features I might be interested in. If not, at list the M2 will be cheaper by then.
 
Can we flag that the Air and Pro will also likely receive a new keyboard design to replace the Magic Keyboard.
 
What I do depends on the new Apple Pencil, its functionality and drawing experience and if it’s exclusive to the M3 iPad Pros or not. I love my 12.9 M2 iPad Pro, though I would love the 12.9 iPad Air as a supplementary device. If the Apple Pencil 3 is exclusive to the new Pros…then that changes the plan. But who know…the Apple Pencil 2 was only exclusive to the new Pros due to way it charges and connects
 
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While all the iPad maintain a 3:2 aspect ratio it'll be a tough sale in my household. The 16:10 aspect of the Samsung Galaxy Tab is far better suited to our usage… which is media consumption. There's no possible path for any tablet to being a laptop replacement.

I get you can't make something for everyone however while its not wider than 3:2 plus OLED then it's not for us.
 
The "key new feature" I need to jump on an M3 MBair is much more competitively-priced RAM & SSD. I would have owned an M2air from launch day if RAM & SSD upgrades were NOT 3X-5X retail pricing of the same from Amazon and similar.

Else, I'll just keep squeezing whatever remaining life I have with an old MB, possibly marching towards a PC laptop replacement if Apple doesn't choose consumer value over shareholder maximization on this matter when I HAVE to buy a replacement. I do NOT want to do that but I will not pay Premium+++ for commodity parts like RAM & SSD. Enough is enough!
Prepare to be disappointed. Apple isn’t gonna change their pricing structure, so you might as well move to PC.
 
While all the iPad maintain a 3:2 aspect ratio it'll be a tough sale in my household. The 16:10 aspect of the Samsung Galaxy Tab is far better suited to our usage… which is media consumption. There's no possible path for any tablet to being a laptop replacement.

I get you can't make something for everyone however while its not wider than 3:2 plus OLED then it's not for us.

16:10 is a terrible aspect ratio for any computer screen
 
I can’t wait to move from the 12.9 ipad pro to the 11 if the screen on the 11 isn’t nerfed this time. Moving the front camera to landscape is a huge upgrade for me as I take most business calls on the iPad. I will also appreciate the magsafe upgrade. Hopefully the new keyboard doesn’t suck, because I love the current magic keyboard.
 
I’m really hoping with the rumored Air moving to 12.9” and the new larger sized iPad Pro being named the 13” that Apple does what they did to the MacBook Air between M1 & M2 and increase the screen size to 13.6” or even 13.9”.
 
I’m really hoping with the rumored Air moving to 12.9” and the new larger sized iPad Pro being named the 13” that Apple does what they did to the MacBook Air between M1 & M2 and increase the screen size to 13.6” or even 13.9”.
well, considering the only iPad Air right now is 10.9, it’s A sizable size increase. But it’s not getting bigger than 12.9, because the 12.9 Pro is only rumored to get a size increase to 13
 
While all the iPad maintain a 3:2 aspect ratio it'll be a tough sale in my household. The 16:10 aspect of the Samsung Galaxy Tab is far better suited to our usage… which is media consumption. There's no possible path for any tablet to being a laptop replacement.

I get you can't make something for everyone however while its not wider than 3:2 plus OLED then it's not for us.
I just picked up a S9. Yes, for media consumption that aspect ratio is better. However for EVERYTHING I've found it pretty frustrating. So much so, and for a few other reasons, it is probably going back.
 
While all the iPad maintain a 3:2 aspect ratio it'll be a tough sale in my household. The 16:10 aspect of the Samsung Galaxy Tab is far better suited to our usage… which is media consumption. There's no possible path for any tablet to being a laptop replacement.
All the iPads don’t have a 3:2 aspect ratio. The iPad Pro 12.9” still has the original 4:3 aspect ratio. And personally I would prefer the other iPads to go back to that.
 
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