Apple is widely expected to launch a new slate of iPads and the M3 MacBook Air models sometime this month or early April at the latest. But if a couple of recent reports are accurate, the OLED iPad Pro and M3 MacBook Air announcements might drop sooner than we thought. It could happen this week. Apple might do it via regular press releases and website updates rather than any sort of media event.
It might seem unusual, but I think I know why. It might all have to do with the iOS 17.4 update that will enable iPhone sideloading in Europe.
The reports dropped on Sunday in the following order. First Mark Gurman released his weekly Power On newsletter on Bloomberg. He focused on Apple’s abandonment of the Apple Car project after years and billions poured into research and development.
It’s in this report that Gurman said Apple will release new products in the next “several weeks.” But he said Apple will not hold a traditional launch event. That’s even though the updates are significant enough to call for one.
On the tablet side, Apple will unveil the first OLED iPad Pros, the sixth-gen iPad Air complete with a 12.9-inch model, and a redesigned Magic Keyboard. As for the MacBook Air, Apple will equip the 13-inch and 15-inch models with the powerful M3 chip that launched a few months ago.
Rather than an event, Apple will use online videos and marketing campaigns to announce the new products.
Gurman said that Apple will release a special version of iOS 17.4 with support for the new hardware towards the end of the month. Therefore, the new products would come in March or April.
After Gurman, MacRumors revealed that a proven source familiar with Apple’s launch plans said that Apple plans to announce the new products via press releases this week.
The report did not provide additional details about the rumored products. But we won’t have to wait long to determine if it’s accurate. If Apple unveils the new products this week, they’ll probably be available for preorder soon and ship to buyers in the coming weeks. They might indeed hit stores alongside the iOS 17.4 / iPadOS 17.4 update that Gurman mentioned. It’s all speculation, however.
I will remind you that Apple needs to release iOS 17.4 in time for March 7th. That’s when the DMA kicks in. iOS 17.4 brings over big changes to the European iPhone experience. Apple has to release the iPhone update this week.
Regardless of how the new Apple products are anounced or when, this is a product launch I’m looking forward to. It’s not just the iPad Pro update that’s interesting, but the M3 MacBook Air too. I’ve been looking at iPads and MacBooks recently and decided to skip on some great deals to see what Apple’s spring refresh brings.
