According to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, Apple is likely to launch new versions of the iPad Air, iPad Pro, and MacBook Air in late March. In his Power On newsletter today, he stated that the production of the new iPad Pro models and the new 13-inch MacBook Air is gradually advancing within Apple's sales channels in Asia.
Here's a summary of Gurman's predictions for the new iPads and Macs, as well as some of the expected enhancements and hardware changes.
iPad Air The iPad Air line is anticipated to feature a new 12.9-inch screen, in addition to the current 10.9-inch model. The next iPad Air models are rumored to include Apple's M2 chip for faster processing, a redesigned rear camera, Wi-Fi 6E support, and Bluetooth 5.3. No significant changes to the external design are anticipated. The fifth-generation iPad Air with the M1 chip was launched in March 2022.
iPad Pro The upcoming 11-inch and 13-inch iPad Pro models are widely speculated to be the first iPads to feature OLED displays. OLED technology is expected to bring increased brightness, vibrant colors, high contrast ratio, low power consumption, and other benefits compared to current models with LCD panels. Apple already incorporates OLED displays in its latest iPhone and Apple Watch models, with the exception of the low-end iPhone SE.
Due to the shift to OLED technology, the next iPad Pro models are anticipated to be more expensive. iPad Pro models released in 2017 and later support ProMotion, enabling dynamic refresh rates ranging from 24Hz to 120Hz. OLED and LTPO display technology may allow the refresh rate to decrease to 10Hz or lower to conserve battery life. The iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro models can drop to 1Hz when displaying full content. Other rumored features of the next iPad Pro include Apple's latest M3 chip for enhanced performance, MagSafe wireless charging, a redesigned Magic Keyboard with a larger trackpad and aluminum top, and a front-facing camera. Changes to the rear camera feature, similar to those on the next iPad Air models, may also be introduced. The current iPad Pro models with the M2 chip were introduced in October 2022.
MacBook Air Despite the 13-inch MacBook Air and the current 15-inch MacBook Air being launched a year apart due to production delays, the models are expected to be replaced simultaneously in March. The new standard laptop will be equipped with Apple's latest M3 device.
The next MacBook Air models, equipped with the M3 Chip, will feature hardware-accelerated ray tracing and mesh shading to enhance display quality in games, including accurate lighting, glare, and shadows. Apple has already replaced the 14-inch MacBook Pro, 16-inch MacBook Pro, and 24-inch iMac with the M3 device last year. No major changes are expected for the MacBook Air this year, but the laptop will receive Wi-Fi 6E support like other Macs. The 13-inch MacBook Air was replaced in July 2022, while the first 15-inch MacBook Air was launched in June 2023.
