Yesterday, Apple revealed that new iPads will be released on May 7, 2024. No, if you want to be technical about it, Apple did not actually use the word “iPad” when it said that it would have an announcement in two weeks on May 7. But it is clear that is what is coming.
First, Apple did not release any new iPads at all in 2023, so we are certainly due for a new iPad. The iPad Pro was last updated on October 18, 2022, and it was a minor update: a speed bump by going from the M1 to the M2 processor and a new hover feature for the Apple Pencil. There was a more substantial update to the entry-level iPad that same day. The iPad Air was last updated on March 8, 2022, a substantial update that brought many of the best features of the iPad Pro to the iPad Air.
Second, the main graphic associated with the event shows what is clearly a hand holding an Apple Pencil—a stylus that only works with iPads.
(If you were a high school debater like I was, you will especially appreciate the animated version of this graphic with the hand spinning the stylus.)
Those are not enough tea leaves for you? OK, how about this third one. On the service formerly known as Twitter, Tim Cook said yesterday: “Pencil us in for May 7! ✏️”
So new iPads are coming in two weeks. What will we see? The rumor is that we will see a new iPad Pro and iPad Air, but it wouldn't surprise me to see the entire iPad line updated. It will be interesting to see whether the iPad mini also sees an update; it hasn't been updated since 2021, and some folks believe that Apple may be done with that size of the iPad.
It also seems like it is time for a new version of the Apple Pencil. The original Apple Pencil was released in 2015 (replaced by a USB-C version in 2023) and the second generation came out in 2018. With the Pencil right there in the graphic, it makes you think that we could soon see a third generation.
One thing that surprised me about this announcement is the time: 7am Pacific. Apple usually does these at 10am Pacific. It makes me wonder if there will be some sort of live event in New York, where the event starts at 10am. We’ll see.
If you have been thinking about getting a new iPad, now is the time to wait to see what Apple announces in two weeks. If you are very happy with your current iPad—which describes me, because I still love the iPad Pro 12.9” (fifth generation) that I purchased three years ago in 2021—the question will be whether Apple has enough new features that even happy iPad users feel compelled to upgrade.
