Don’t expect big updates for the iPad Pro or other Apple tablets this year, as it could be another 12 months before the next wave of big updates arrive.
Mark Gurman subscriber-only version (will open in a new tab)Bloomberg’s latest newsletter says the iPad Pro “probably won’t get anything noteworthy this year” and the standard iPad, iPad Air, or iPad mini won’t get “any major upgrades” either.
Instead, 2024 will be a big year for the iPad lineup. That’s when Gurman says we’ll see a new iPad Pro design, as well as a long-awaited upgrade to an OLED display.
The new design could include an iPad Pro glass back, or at least a partial glass back that supports wireless charging. These are rare items to find on a tablet and will help Apple make its premium tablet stand out from the competition.
We’ve also heard rumors of larger iPad Pro models up to 16″ that haven’t been confirmed yet. Gurman doesn’t say anything specific about the new size in his newsletter, but it could be part of the redesign he mentioned.
OLED tablet displays are more common, and tablets such as the Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 series use this technology. Other Apple insiders have said the OLED iPad will arrive next year, so Gurman’s 2024 announcement warrants some extra waiting. While we love the iPad Pro’s (12.9-inch) mini-LED display, OLED can take color and contrast to the next level.
Current iPad Pro models powered by Apple’s M2 chip were released in November 2022, meaning they’ll be at least a year old by the time we see these supposed replacements. We might see that next spring in the usual Apple product announcements earlier in the year, but if not, we’ll still have WWDC in the summer and typical fall Apple events as launch opportunities.
New HomePod mini not in development
Mark Gurman had another interesting piece of information about Apple that he shared in the latest episode of Power On, which is that Apple doesn’t seem to have a mini HomePod sequel at this time.
Following the surprise announcement of a new HomePod last week, Apple fans reached out to Gourmet to ask if Apple’s more than two-year-old smaller smart speaker is expected to be updated soon. The gourmand replied that he “[does not] believe that Apple is actively working on such a product”, indicating that the new HomePod does not support any features that were not yet in the mini, making an update unnecessary right now.
We have yet to try out the new HomePod, but once we do, we’ll be sure to tell you about it and how it compares to the aging HomePod mini.
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