Key Takeaways
- Apple plans to simplify its iPad lineup, making it easier for customers to understand and choose the right model.
- The iPad Air and iPad Pro will receive updates in March 2024, with the Air getting new models and the Pro offering two different screen size options.
- The iPad mini will also receive a refresh later in the year, featuring a faster chip, but details about this updated model are currently limited.
If you’ve ever looked at Apple’s tablet lineup and wondered what on Earth is going on, you aren’t alone. Things are confusing with multiple iPads offered with seemingly few differences and extremely similar display sizes. The pricing structure doesn’t always make sense, either, and the staggered release windows can sometimes make it difficult to figure out which is the best iPad.
But now Apple is said to be having a rethink with the aim of making the iPad lineup as easy to understand as that of the Mac. Over in laptop land, the MacBook Air comes in two screen sizes, and above that the MacBook Pro also comes in two different display size options. Apple is set to do something similar with its tablets, hopefully making it much clearer when making a buying decision next time out.
Tablets for all
Mark Gurman, the usually well-connected Bloomberg reporter, says that Apple has big plans for the entire iPad lineup throughout 2024. Writing in his weekly Power On newsletter, Gurman says that the key thing for Apple is to simplify the entire lineup.
The first part of that will be a change to the iPad Air and iPad Pro situation. The Air will reportedly get new models in March 2024, with a new 10.9-inch model set to be joined by an all-new 12.9-inch version. The 2024 iPad Pro will mirror the update, offering 11- and 13-inch models. The same month will see the best iPad updated with new OLED displays and an M3 chip, while the iPad Air will lack the Pro’s 120Hz ProMotion feature and use the slower M2 chip. The result will be a clearer differentiation as to which model sits above the other in the eyes of buyers.
“So the iPad Air will clearly be lower-end than the Pro, but it also will be a notable improvement over the standard iPad,” Gurman says. “It will have two screen sizes and an M2 processor, making it superior to the 10th generation model — a product that isn’t due to get upgraded until much later.” That differentiation between the iPad Air and the standard iPad is key, with the 11th-gen iPad set to arrive much later in the year. That should also finally see the end of the 9th-gen iPad, killing off the Home button for good. The 10th-gen iPad is expected to remain an option at a lower price point, however.
The iPad mini is also set to get a refresh, but that won’t come until later in the year with a new, faster chip being added. Little is known about this updated model, however, and we can expect more leaks as the weeks and months progress.
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