Don't expect the iPad Pro or any other Apple tablet to get a major upgrade this year.
According to a subscriber-only version of Mark Gurman's (opens in new tab) latest newsletter for Bloomberg, the iPad Pro has "certainly nothing of note this year," and the standard iPad, iPad Air, and iPad mini also have "major updates" and that there are no plans for the standard iPad, iPad Air, or iPad mini to receive "updates.
Instead, 2024 will be a leap year for the iPad line. According to Garman, that year will bring a new iPad Pro design and an upgrade to an OLED display.
The new design may include the back of the iPad Pro being made of glass, or at least partially glass, and support for wireless charging. Both of these are unusual for a tablet and would help Apple differentiate its premium slate from its rivals.
We have also heard rumors of a larger iPad Pro model, up to 16 inches, but this has not yet been announced. In his newsletter, he doesn't say anything specific about the new size, but perhaps this will be part of the redesign he mentioned.
OLED tablet displays are more common, with tablets like Samsung's Galaxy Tab S8 series using the technology. Other Apple leakers have stated that an OLED iPad will be available next year, so Garman's 2024 claim is an unnecessary expectation. While we like the mini LED display on the iPad Pro (12.9") model, OLED could take its color and contrast to another level.
The current iPad Pro model with the Apple M2 chip was released in November 2022. We will probably see it at Apple's usual early-year product launch next spring, but if not, there are still the summer WWDC and Apple's typical fall product events left as launch opportunities.
Mark Garman has another interesting nugget of Apple information in the latest issue of Power On.
After the surprise announcement of the new HomePod last week, Apple fans asked Gurman if Apple's small smart speaker, which launched over two years ago, would soon be updated. Gurman replied, "I don't think Apple is actively working on such a product," noting that the new HomePod does not support features that the mini did not yet have and that an upgrade is not needed right now.
We have yet to try the new HomePod, but once we do, we will let you know what we think of it and how it compares to the aging HomePod mini.
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