The next iPad Pro with OLED and a new 12.9-inch iPad Air were supposed to come out in April but will launch in May instead, rumor has it.
Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman claims Apple’s suppliers have boosted production of the next iPad Pro and iPad Air models ahead of a launch planned for early May. Gurman previously claimed the new iPads would arrive in late March or early April.
He wrote on Bloomberg that a May launch will include the first iPad Pros to ditch LCD screens for brighter OLED panels, delivering higher brightness and contrast, deeper blacks and higher resolutions. As for iPad Air, Apple’s most consumer-y tablet, expect a new 12.9-inch size joining the current 10.9-incher.
Rumor: New iPads arriving in May
These launches will mark a milestone for iPad fans as the company hasn’t refreshed its tablet line in about 18 months (it usually updates them once a year). Mark notes that this is the longest stretch without new models in the iPad’s history.
The current fifth-generation iPad Air launched in April 2021. As for the current sixth-generation iPad Pro, it was refreshed in October 2022 with the M2 chip, mini-LED backlight, ProRes video recording and support for Apple Pencil hover. The upcoming OLED models might be offered with an optional matte anti-glare display option.
The new iPad Pro and Air should run the M3 chip that debuted in Macs last year. The M3 will definitely deliver a speed boost, but iPadOS remains ill-equipped to fully take advantage of the excessive processing power afforded by Apple silicon.