According to information shared by Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman in his recent Power On newsletter, Apple is anticipated to unveil new models of the iPad Air, iPad Pro, and MacBook Air around the conclusion of March. Gurman notes that production is already in progress for the upcoming iPad Pro models and, at the very least, a new 13-inch MacBook Air within Apple’s supply chain in Asia.
Upcoming Launches from Apple
iPad Air 12
Gurman outlines expectations for the upcoming iPads and Macs, encompassing speculated features and alterations for these devices. The iPad Air lineup is predicted to introduce a new 12.9-inch display size alongside an updated 10.9-inch model. Rumored features for the next iPad Air models include the incorporation of Apple’s M2 chip to enhance performance, a redesigned rear camera bump, support for Wi-Fi 6E, and Bluetooth 5.3. No significant external design changes are anticipated for this iteration.
iPad Pro
The forthcoming 11-inch and 13-inch iPad Pro models are widely speculated to be the initial iPads featuring OLED displays. OLED technology is expected to bring advantages such as increased brightness, more vibrant colors, higher contrast ratio, lower power consumption, and other enhancements compared to existing models with LCD panels. The switch to OLED may result in a higher price point for the next iPad Pro models.
Additional rumored features include Apple’s latest M3 chip for enhanced performance, MagSafe wireless charging, a redesigned Magic Keyboard with a larger trackpad and aluminum top casing, and a front camera oriented for landscape use. Changes in rear camera design, similar to those expected in the next iPad Air models, are also in the rumor mill.
MacBook Air
The upcoming updates for the MacBook Air, both the 13-inch and 15-inch models, are anticipated to occur simultaneously in March. The highlight feature for these laptops will be the introduction of Apple’s latest M3 chip.
With the M3 chip, the next MacBook Air models are expected to benefit from hardware-accelerated ray tracing and mesh shading, enhancing graphics rendering in games with more accurate lighting, reflections, and shadows. Unlike the iPad lineup, no major design alterations are predicted for the MacBook Air this year. However, Wi-Fi 6E support is likely to be included, aligning with other Macs. The last update for the 13-inch MacBook Air was in July 2022, while the inaugural 15-inch MacBook Air was released in June 2023.
