Apple plans to release new iPad Air, iPad Pro, and MacBook Air models in the spring this year, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. Based on this timeframe, the devices could be released as early as this March or April. After the devices are released, he said attention will shift to Apple's annual developers conference WWDC in June.
Below, we outline rumored features and expectations for these upcoming devices.
iPad Air
The next iPad Air is expected to be available with 10.9-inch and 12.9-inch display sizes.
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, 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.
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. The switch to OLED would likely allow for the refresh rate to drop down even 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, and a redesigned Magic Keyboard with a larger trackpad and an aluminum top casing. As with the iPad Air, changes to the rear camera bump are also possible for the iPad Pro.
The current iPad Pro models with the M2 chip were released in October 2022.
MacBook Air
Gurman said Apple plans to release multiple MacBook Airs with the M3 chip in the spring, so it sounds like the next 13-inch and 15-inch models will be released simultaneously this year, rather than separately like in the past.
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: New iPad Air, iPad Pro, and MacBook Air Models Likely to Launch in March or April
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