Apple is widely expected to release new iPad Air and OLED iPad Pro models in the next few weeks. According to new rumors coming out of Asia, the company will announce its new iPads on Tuesday, March 26.
Chinese leaker Instant Digital on Weibo this morning claimed that the date will see some sort of announcement from Apple related to new iPads, but stopped short of calling it an official launch date. Instead, Apple could announce pre-order availability, with shipping dates to follow.
Separately, Chinese website IT Home claimed that March 26 will see Apple release new iPads. However, the outlet appears to have interpreted this as a launch date based on when several Amazon listings for third-party protective cases for the new iPads go live, rather than specific information from a trusted source.
According to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, Apple plans to release new iPad Pro and iPad Air models around the end of March or in April. That said, the well-connected reporter now seems to be leaning more towards the possibility of an April release.
Writing in the latest subscriber edition of his Power On newsletter, Gurman said he wanted to clear up confusion about when he believed Apple would release new iPads (specifically new iPad Pro models).
Gurman reiterated that a new variant of iPadOS 17.4 designed for the updated models won't be complete until the end of March or even sometime in April. "Once the OS is finished, Apple needs to send it off to the factories to be installed on the new hardware. That process could last a couple weeks, probably taking us deeper into next month," he wrote.
Two new iPad Pro models are expected to feature a new M3 chip, OLED displays, a thinner enclosure, a landscape-oriented front camera, a redesigned camera bump, and possibly MagSafe wireless charging.
The two new iPad Air models are expected to feature Apple's M2 chip and a landscape-oriented front camera, including a first-ever 12.9-inch model.
Other announcements expected in the March-April window include a new Magic Keyboard for the iPad Pro with a larger trackpad, and a new Apple Pencil.
Gurman previously ruled out an Apple Event for the new iPads. Instead, he believes they will be announced in a press release on the Apple Newsroom website, like the new 13-inch and 15-inch MacBook Air models were earlier this month.
