What to Expect From Apple’s ‘Let Loose’ Event

Apple’s “Let Loose” May 7 product blitz is happening unusually early at 7AM PT / 10 AM PT, with a pre-taped keynote premiering on YouTube, Apple.com, and the company’s TV app.

The invitation suggests that fresh new iPads and a new Apple Pencil mode are locked for the event, but what else? Here’s everything we expect to see at the “Let Loose” event.

iPad Pro Goes OLED, Brings a Matte Display Option

Reimagined around a full screen Face ID experience and thin design, the 2018 iPad Pro is still an incredible device. But after six years, the iPad Pro is about to undergo a major upgrade.

Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman claims that the next iPad Pro will debut the Apple M4 chip before it even appears in a Mac. Tipped as Apple’s first true AI processor thanks to a beefed up Neural Engine, the M4 could be required for on-device large language models.

The devices should also adopt OLED display technology, like iPhones. The current iPad Pro supports HDR video, but OLED technology will bring display perks such as true blacks, higher brightness, and better contrast compared to the 11 incher’s IPS LCD screen.

Plus, OLED panels fix the unwanted blooming effect inherent to mini-LED backlighting that the 12.9-inch iPad Pro uses. As OLED pixels emit their own light, no backlight is necessary. This could result in an iPad Pro that’s over 1mm thinner, with the 12.9-inch model only 5mm thin.

Matte screen protectors are among the most popular iPad accessories, and one leaker says Apple will offer a matte anti-glare option for the OLED iPad Pro.

Apple debuted a landscape FaceTime camera on the tenth-generation iPad, with the expectation that it would come to all models so you’ll no longer appear sideways on video calls. The next iPad Pro should replace the current M2 models unless Apple sells them at a premium, at which point it could keep LCD models as a lower-priced alternative.

iPad Air Gets a New 12.9-Inch Screen Size

Targeting the mainstream market, the iPad Air is among the best Apple tablets money can buy. The refresh should bring a new 12.9-inch size, joining the current 10.9-inch model.

The next iPad Air will probably run Apple’s current M3 chip instead of the upcoming M4, but we’ll see if Apple markets it as an AI device in the same vein as the rumored OLED iPad Pros.

Expect a FaceTime camera, too, but don’t keep your fingers crossed for mini-LED displays. I know Display Supply Chain Consultants CEO Ross Young said a 12.9-inch iPad Air would use leftover mini-LEDs from the 12.9-inch iPad Pro, but he changed his mind soon after.

Redesigned Magic Keyboard for a Laptop-Like Feel

Having debuted in 2020, the Magic Keyboard makes your iPad typing experience more Mac-like. Unfortunately, it collects dirt and stains quickly (especially the white model). Durability is of concern, too.

Such complaints could soon become a thing of the past as Apple reportedly revamped the keyboard attachment with an aluminum top case. It should make the next Magic Keyboard hold up much better over time. Along with a bigger trackpad, the redesign should bring a laptop-like feel to your setup, Mark Gurman reported on Bloomberg.

Fourth-Generation Apple Pencil With New Gestures

iPadOS 17.5 references an unreleased Apple Pencil “V4” paving the way for fresh rumors about Apple’s upcoming event. There have been three models of Apple styli so far, and a new model could use force sensors to bring a squeeze gesture.

A fourth-generation Apple Pencil could also work with drawing apps on the Apple Vision Pro headset, including Freeform and Pixelmator, MacRumors has learned.

New FineWoven Colors Before Apple Pulls the Plug

Apple has woven itself into quite a mess with FineWoven cases, its eco-friendly leather replacement described as “luxurious and durable microtwill” that became a PR nightmare.

The material has received a lot of flak for its poor durability. Things are so bad that Amazon added a “Frequently Returned Item” warning label to FineWoven-branded iPhone cases and Apple Watch bands. Apple may have stopped making these, with a final batch arriving at the event.

Apple usually refreshes its iPhone cases and Apple Watch bands with updated colors around this time. Expect FineWoven in a season of new colors before the material is retired for good.

New Mid-Cycle iPhone Color

Like clockwork, new iPhones are unveiled in the fall. As of 2017, Apple devised a strategy to keep sales flowing in quieter periods: introduce a new color mid-cycle. The approach works, as it keeps the current iPhone in the news before the next model arrives.

We’ve had purple, green, yellow, and red iPhones, among others. We believe the tradition will continue and expect a new iPhone color at the event.

iOS and iPadOS 17.5 Release Dates

New iPads will come pre-loaded with iPadOS 17.5, which includes references to unreleased hardware. And if history is anything to go by, iPadOS 17.5 will launch to the public ahead of new iPads.

And that in turn means that Apple will announce the iPadOS 17.5 release date at the “Let Loose” event. The update could enable a Battery Health menu to show an iPad’s remaining battery capacity and cycle count without workarounds.

Another Apple Event Is Looming on the Horizon

The Worldwide Developers Conference, or WWDC, has been scheduled for June 10-14. An annual pilgrimage for developers, WWDC is where Apple unveils what’s next for its platforms. Find our what we’re expecting to see at WWDC24 later in the year.

And with the first iOS 18 and other betas launching after the WWDC24 keynote, early adopters will be able to test drive Apple’s software features that’ll keep fans busy until Fall 2025.