Apple sets imminent launch date for new iPads – here’s what we know
The wait for new iPads is almost over
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After months – no, years! – of speculation,Applehas finally set a date for the launch of its new iPads.
The company has begun inviting members of the media to a “special Apple Event” on May 7 at 7am PT / 10am ET / 3pm BST / May 8 12am AEST, and although new iPads aren’t mentioned by name in the invite itself, the accompanying illustration features the Apple Pencil, which is a good sign that iPad-related announcements are on the agenda.
The headline reveal is expected to be anew iPad Pro, which is tipped to arrive sporting a supersizedOLEDdisplay, an updated M3 chipset, and a repositioned front-facing camera. TwoiPad Air 6models (including a larger 12.9-inch size) and a new Apple Pencil seem likely, too, and we could even see Apple debut a new Magic Keyboard.
Pencil us in for May 7! ✏️ #AppleEvent pic.twitter.com/1tvyB7h450April 23, 2024
In the above X post, Apple CEOTim Cookwrites “Pencil us in for May 7!”, which is as close to confirmation of a new Apple Pencil as we could hope for. The static invite image below doesn’t augur any sea changes for this particular product, but the graphical version looks a bit shorter, which wouldalign with recent rumors. Other anticipated changes include a shinier surface and magnetic, interchangeable tips. The fact that the Apple Pencil is the star of the event graphic has to mean something, right?
As for the iPads, Apple’s invite heralds the end of the longest wait for new iPad models since the company began producing iPads in 2010; the last new iPad to hit shelves was theiPad 10.9 (2022)in October 2022.
It was previously thought thatnew iPad Pros and iPad Airs might land on March 26, but Bloomberg’s resident Apple expert Mark Gurman reported thatcomplications in OLED display manufacturing led to delays in shipping.
Instead, it now looks like new iPads will be landing on May 7, which is incidentally just a few weeks before Apple’s annual developer conference,WWDC 2024, kicks off on June 10.
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If you’re an Apple fan, then, the next few months are looking very tasty indeed.
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Axel is TechRadar’s UK-based Phones Editor, reporting on everything from the latest Apple developments to newest AI breakthroughs as part of the site’s Mobile Computing vertical. Having previously written for publications including Esquire and FourFourTwo, Axel is well-versed in the applications of technology beyond the desktop, and his coverage extends from general reporting and analysis to in-depth interviews and opinion.
Axel studied for a degree in English Literature at the University of Warwick before joining TechRadar in 2020, where he then earned an NCTJ qualification as part of the company’s inaugural digital training scheme.
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