Report: 12.9-Inch iPad Air and OLED iPad Pro Are Coming in May

Apple is planning to launch new iPad Air and iPad Pro models in May, according to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman. These will be the first new iPad models since the release of the M2 iPad Pros and redesigned entry-level iPad in the fall of 2022, and the upgrades may be quite significant, especially for the iPad Pro.

Gurman previously reported that the next iPad Pro models will come with OLED displays, which will be a first for the iPad line. The reporter also believes that these new models will use the same M3 chip previously seen in the latest 13-inch and 15-inch MacBook Air and 24-inch iMac, and he added that they will support redesigned versions of Apple’s Magic Keyboard and Pencil accessories.

Besides the new 12.9-inch screen size option, the new iPad Air will get a newer chip than the M1 from 2020 (Gurman didn’t specify if this would be the M2 or M3), but other changes should be minimal. The report didn’t mention an update for the entry-level iPad or the iPad Mini, though those may come later this year.

With no new iPad models in 2023, iPad revenue was down 25.3% year-over-year in Q4 2023. In recent years, iPad sales have suffered as the tablet is still going through an identity crisis. iPadOS is still not as good as a full-fledged desktop OS for productivity, and despite Apple porting apps like Final Cut Pro and Logic Pro on iPadOS last year, these versions are still inferior to their macOS counterparts.

Another thing that may have hurt iPad sales in recent years is that the lineup has become increasingly complex. It also probably doesn’t help that Apple charges a lot of money for its various iPad accessories, with something like the Magic Keyboard Folio for the latest entry-level iPad being priced at $249.99, which is more than half the price of the tablet itself.