2024 is going to bring news for the Apple iPad range according to one of the most reliable Apple commentators.
Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman says the entire iPad family will get a refresh next year. If no lines are discontinued, that means the standard iPad, the mini, the iPad Air and iPad Pro are all set for new releases.
It’s not before time either, as there have been no iPad announcements in 2023, and none are expected before the end of the year.
The last waves of iPads were outed in March and October 2022, and saw the most expensive Pro models adopt versions of the Apple M2 processors used in MacBooks of the time. Apple’s iPad mini hasn’t seen a fresh model since 2021.
What are 2024's iPads?
Apple introduced us to the M3 processor on October 30, and it seems likely the iPad Pro tablets will make the leap to the M3 platform.
We’re highly unlikely to see that processor used across the range, though. The iPad Air is more likely to use the Apple M2, and the base iPad and iPad mini A-series Bionic chipsets seen in iPhones.
Based on previous Apple launch windows, March 2024 is the most likely month for the first iPad announcements.
Some of these models may sell at higher prices than we’re used to, too. “One thing Apple can do to boost revenue is raise prices, and it’s beginning to pull that lever,” says Gurman.
The current iPad range starts at £369, but only because Apple continues to sell the 9th Generation iPad from 2021 alongside the £499 10th Generation affordable tablet released in 2022.
While capable, it uses a processor from 2019, which is rather aged by the standards of mobile technology.
Apple continues to give the higher-end iPad lines more of a Pro bent. It recently released a big update for the tablet version of its Logic Pro music creation software, one that aims to bring the mobile port closer to parity with the Mac version.
However, a recent financial statement revealed Apple’s revenues from the family were down 10% year-on-year, to £5.2 billion. Not having new hardware to show off will not have helped.
Apple's 2024 new releases
The Bloomberg report also states new AirPods are coming in 2024, although the popular AirPods Pro won’t get an update until 2025.
Apple’s AirPods use hard plastic shells that provide minimal sound isolation and no active noise cancellation. The AirPods Pro earphones use silicone tips to block your ear canal, giving the earphones much greater control over what you hear, and how your music sounds.
The most ardent tech fans may be keener to hear about Vision Pro, Apple’s mixed reality headset, which it claims you can use as a full PC. However, Gurman says it may not arrive in the UK until the end of 2024, despite being pencilled in for a release in the US in early 2024.
Apple may also require appointments to let people try and buy the Vision Pro, which is expected to start at $3,500. And these days, UK figures in pounds are often not that much lower than the dollar count.
