The last time Apple did any sort of update to the iPad lineup was in October of 2022 (and the iPad Air was last updated in March 2022). So, we’ve been in an iPad update drought for over a year, but this March could bring some iPad (and MacBook Air) fortune.
In the latest edition of his Power On newsletter, Bloomberg’s Mark Burman reports that Apple has gone into “deep” production with the next generation of iPads and the MacBook Air to prepare for a late March release. Among the announcements this spring are likely to be a refresh to the current 10.9-inch iPad Air, a new larger iPad Air, and a revamp of the iPad Pros.
Gurman’s new report is basically a repeat of a report he made back in December, though this report appears to be more certain about a March timeframe. The last time Apple held a March event was in 2022, where the M1 Ultra, Mac Studio, and Studio Display debuted, and the iPhone SE and iPad Air received updates.
In early December, analyst Ross Young posted that 12.9-inch display panels for a larger iPad Air had started shipping. Both iPad Airs are expected to feature an M2 chip. Meanwhile, the iPad Pro is expected to feature new OLED displays, a new M3 chip, an updated design, and a revamped Magic Keyboard.
Last Friday, MacRumors reported that the iOS 17.4 beta that was recently released includes code that refers to the Face ID setup in landscape more, which could mean that the front-facing camera will be on the long edge like the 10th-gen iPad. However, it’s unclear if this applies to just the iPad Pro, just the iPad Air, or both. Early last week, CAD renders seemed to indicate that the camera on the iPad Air will remain on the short edge.
As for the MacBook Air, the only expected change is that Apple will upgrade the chip from the M2 to the M3. Apple released the M3 series back in November with the iMac and MacBook Pro, so this upgrade is expected, it was just a matter of when it would happen. Apple will still offer 13- and 15-inch models with no other design or specification charges.
For more information, check out our rumor roundups for the iPad Pro, iPad Air, iPad mini, and MacBook Air.
