iPad Pro
The end of the winter may herald hardware refreshes for Apple, with a new report from the industry’s most prolific leaker pegging the long-rumored larger iPad Air and refreshed MacBook Air models to hit store shelves by the end of March 2024.
To combat sales doldrums for Mac and iPad, Apple is rumored to be prepping a bunch of new releases before the first calendar quarter of 2024 ends. On tap are allegedly a larger iPad Air, new iPad Pros with OLED screens, and a New MacBook Air model, presumably with M3 processor.
New iPad Air with larger screen
On tap for March 2024 is said to be a 12.9-inch iPad Air, matching the size of the current largest iPad Pro. As previously reported, four models are said to be in the works. Two models are for the existing size, and two for the larger 12.9-inch size.
The larger iPad Air rumor isn’t new. and has been hinted at for over a year now. It was once expected to debut in October 2023, but that obviously didn’t pan out.
iPad Pro with OLED
Perhaps the most common iPad Pro rumor is the shift to OLED displays. The new models expected at the same time as the 12.9-inch iPad Air are expected to finally get that OLED screen, and the M3 processor that arrived in October.
No size changes are expected. As with the two iPad Air sizes, there are also four models being prepared.
In early 2023, rumors were indicating that Apple intended to update the iPad Pro lineup with new display technology. A report in July said that the production of the 11-inch and 13-inch OLED iPads, which mark the first use of OLED technology in the Apple iPad series, will start in the first quarter of 2024.
A new Apple Pencil and Magic Keyboard is rumored to arrive at the same time as well. The new Magic Keyboard is rumored to be aluminum-clad, versus the existing material.
MacBook Air with M3
There isn’t much said about the new MacBook Air in Wednesday’s report by Bloomberg‘s Mark Gurman. They are said to be codenamed J613, and J615, and come in the same design, with a boost from the M3 processor.
Later in 2024
The Apple Vision Pro is still on track for early 2024, but no date has yet been announced.
Touched on in Wednesday’s report, is a forthcoming Apple Watch with blood pressure sensing. Also rumored is a refresh to the iPad mini, a new low-end iPad, and non-Pro AirPods with USB-C charging.
