Apple likely to launch new iPad Pro, Air in second week of May, iPad Pro to get major price hike

Apple may finally launch its revamped iPads, the iPad Air and the iPad Pro sometime in the first week of May. In the latest edition of Bloomberg’s Power On newsletter, tech analyst Mark Gurman hints at Apple’s imminent launch of new iPad Pro and iPad Air models, the beginning of May.

The upcoming launch is expected to showcase a range of updates to Apple’s iPad line up, which will include new 11-inch and 13-inch iPad Pro models. Both these new Pro models will come equipped with OLED displays.

Apple is also expected to launch a larger, 12.9-inch iPad Air variant, which will also get an AMOLED display. Furthermore, consumers can expect a new Magic Keyboard and Apple Pencil as refreshed accessories to accompany the release.

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Regardless of what Apple actually launches and what it saves for later, the upcoming launch will mark one of Apple’s most significant iPad hardware announcements in recent memory, considering that Apple hasn’t launched a new iPad for almost a year and a half.

The highlight of the launch, according to Gruman would be the upgraded iPad Pro lineup which promises much better displays as it transitions from mini-LED to OLED panels, similar to those found in the Pro lineup of iPhones. The OLED panels promise richer contrast and brightness.

Furthermore, people can expect an updated industrial design, which features a thinner overall chassis and repositions the front camera to the landscape edge.

Of course, powering the new iPad Pro will be the M3 chip.

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However, if you’re planning to buy one of the new Pro models of iPad, you should be prepared to pay out a bit more than expected, warns Gruman. While the current 11-inch iPad Pro starts at $799, and the 12.9-inch variant starts at $1099, Apple is expected to hike the prices by $100-200 at least.

On the other hand, the new 12.9-inch iPad Air model will be considerably cheaper for consumers, as Apple intends to market it as a more budget-friendly alternative without compromising on screen size. Details regarding the processor — whether it will be the M2 or M3 — are still ambiguous but chances are that it will ship with the previous generation M2 line of SoCs.

In terms of accessories, analysts who have studied the iPadOS beta code suggest that the upcoming Apple Pencil could feature a new squeeze gesture feature, while the revamped Magic Keyboard for iPad Pro is expected to provide a more laptop-like experience. It is expected to have an aluminium base and a larger trackpad.

Apple may also launch new variants for the base model iPad and iPad mini later in the year, albeit with minor improvements. Gurman predicts that the iPad Mini will likely only receive a processor upgrade.