New iPad Pro and Air may be launched soon (with a Pro price increase), but we’ll have to wait for cheaper iPads
We expect 2024 to be a big year when it comes to iPad launches, and we now have a better idea of ββwhen the most expensive models β the next-generation iPad Pro and the iPad Air 6 β will arrive.
This information comes from the usually reliable Mark Gurman Bloombergwho thinks these tablets will “probably” break the week starting May 6. In addition to the iPad Pro and iPad Air, a new Magic Keyboard and a new Apple Pencil are also mentioned.
Although Gurman has previously said that May would be the month we’d see these new plans β a timeframe supported by other rumors β this is the most accurate prediction we’ve had yet.
As we’ve already heard, the new iPad Pro line will likely switch to OLED for its display technology, just like the iPhone. According to Gurman, this means “higher prices”, but he does not specify what these are; For reference, the 12.9-inch iPad Pro launching in 2022 currently starts at $1,099 / Β£1,249 / AU$1,399, while the 11-inch version costs $799 / Β£899 / AU$1,899 and up.
A longer waiting time
When it comes to the cheaper iPads β the entry-level iPad and the iPad mini β Gurman says these βwon’t be released until the end of this year at the earliest.β That’s quite a surprise considering the iPad mini 7 was originally scheduled to hit the market before the end of 2023, as the series hasn’t been updated since 2021.
As for the standard 10.9-inch iPad, it was last updated in 2022, with the iPad 11 expected to arrive this year. Judging from what Gurman says, it looks like Apple might even wait until 2025 to update these models.
Don’t expect any major upgrades either: the iPad mini apparently only gets a processor bomb, while the entry-level iPad might be a ‘cost-reduced version’ of the 2022 edition (so more or less the same, but cheaper).
That’s a lot of iPads, and it’ll be interesting to see how Apple positions them all in terms of features and price points. Check out our iPad Pro 2024, iPad Air 6, iPad mini 7, and iPad 11 hubs to see all the rumors we’ve heard about these devices so far.