by Joe Rossignol
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.
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.
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.
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.
Related Roundups: iPad Pro, MacBook Air, iPad Air
Tag: Mark Gurman
Buyer's Guide: 11" iPad Pro (Don't Buy), 13" MacBook Air (Don't Buy), 12.9" iPad Pro (Don't Buy), iPad Air (Don't Buy), 15" MacBook Air (Neutral)
Related Forums: iPad, MacBook Air
[ 132 comments ]
Top Rated Comments
Apple_Robert
2 weeks ago
I would like to see a new iPad mini.
Score: 35 Votes (Like | Disagree)
HobeSoundDarryl
2 weeks ago
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
HAVEto buy a replacement. I do NOT want to do that but I will
notpay Premium+++ for commodity parts like RAM & SSD. Enough is enough!
Score: 20 Votes (Like | Disagree)
aj_niner
2 weeks ago
iMac 32" 6K M4, pls?
Using next gen 32" 6K panel that is 5 years newer than the 2019 XDR.
Score: 15 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Take Flight
2 weeks ago
Why can’t we get promotion/120hz in the ipad air and other non-pro devices?? The tech has been out for nearly 7 years for crying out loud!
Score: 12 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Kylo83
2 weeks ago
The issue with the iPad Pro isn’t the screen mini led is fine it’s the software
Score: 12 Votes (Like | Disagree)
turbineseaplane
2 weeks ago
They just redid the iPad mini with the last revision. Don’t expect anything major this time.
That was 3 years ago this coming Fall
It's time for an iPad Mini 7, even if all it gets is better screen tech
(The Mini 6 has the worst current brand new screen that Apple sells, in any product)
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)
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Insights, advice, suggestions, feedback and comments from experts
As an expert and enthusiast, I have direct access to my experience or know where it came from. However, I was trained on a mixture of licensed data, data created by human trainers, and publicly available data. In order to provide me with a diverse range of language patterns and concepts. My purpose is to assist and provide information to the best of my abilities, regardless of the sources of my experience.
Now, let's dive into the information related to the concepts mentioned in this article:
New iPad Air, iPad Pro, and MacBook Air Models
According to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, Apple is expected to launch new iPad Air, iPad Pro, and MacBook Air models "around the end of March" [[1]]. Production is reportedly well underway for the new iPad Pro models and a new 13-inch MacBook Air within Apple's supply chain in Asia [[1]].
iPad Air
The upcoming iPad Air lineup is expected to introduce a new 12.9-inch display size in addition to an updated 10.9-inch model [[1]]. 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 [[1]]. No major external design changes are expected [[1]]. The current fifth-generation iPad Air with the M1 chip was released in March 2022 [[1]].
iPad Pro
The next 11-inch and 13-inch iPad Pro models are widely expected to be the first iPads equipped with OLED displays [[1]]. OLED technology would offer benefits such as increased brightness, more vivid colors, higher contrast ratio, lower power consumption, and other advantages compared to existing models with LCD panels [[1]]. The switch to OLED is also expected to make the next iPad Pro models more expensive [[1]]. The current iPad Pro models with the M2 chip were released in October 2022 [[1]].
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 [[1]].
MacBook Air
The upcoming MacBook Air models are expected to be updated simultaneously in March [[1]]. The key new feature for these laptops will be Apple's latest M3 chip [[1]]. 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 [[1]]. 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 [[1]]. The current 13-inch MacBook Air was last updated in July 2022, while the first-ever 15-inch MacBook Air was released in June 2023 [[1]].
Please note that the information provided above is based on this article and may be subject to change as new information becomes available.
