There were already new Apple products this year: MacBook Air notebooks with M3 SoC and 13 and 15 inch displays. But Apple has so far held back the much more exciting revised iPad tablets, which have been awaited for more than a year. Now there are fresh rumors from Asia and the USA as to when that might happen. And the waiting time should be limited.
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OLED-Displays rollen an
The well-known screen analyst Ross Young from the Counterpoint subsidiary Display Supply Chain Consultants (DSCC) believes in a delivery date in April, as he writes in his paid newsletter. The OLED panels required for the new iPad Pro models have been delivered to Apple since February by Samsung Display (SDC) and LG Display (LGD), which share Apple's orders. The first OLED tablets are planned using LTPO technology, including a tandem stack structure and glass thinning. However, this also leads to relatively low yields and correspondingly high prices.
Young's April date coincides with information from the usually well-informed Bloomberg journalist Mark Gurman, who also thinks April. But this supposedly has less to do with hardware than with software. Apple is therefore working on a “variant of iPadOS 17.4 for the updated models” – and this will probably not be ready until the end of March at the earliest. “Then Apple has to send it to the factories to install it on the new hardware.” This could take “several weeks”, so it is more likely that it will take place later in April. Nevertheless, at least an announcement at the end of March would be conceivable, with correspondingly later delivery.
What Apple is probably planning
There are corresponding rumors from China. The date March 26th (a Tuesday) is currently doing the rounds on the short message service Weibo and elsewhere. It remains unclear how many different iPad models Apple will introduce. There is a lot of catching up to do in all model series. What is certain is that there will be two new iPad Pro variants (11.1 and 12.9 inches), which have an M3 SoC, OLED screens for the first time, a thinner housing and a converted front camera (landscape instead of portrait format). bring along. Finally, Apple is reportedly planning MagSafe charging for iPads for the first time.
For the first time, there could be two models of the iPad Air – in addition to the standard 10.9-inch version there will also be a 12.9-inch model. M2 SoCs would be installed here for the first time, plus the new camera orientation at the front. Finally, there is speculation about accessories such as (another) Apple Pencil and a new Magic Trackpad made of aluminum instead of plastic. Observers also have hopes for the standard iPad (then series 11) and iPad mini (then series 7). Both would come with an improved interior, otherwise there would be no other major changes.
(bsc)