Samuel Axon
Over the previous few days, there have been many conflicting rumors and studies, some from normally dependable sources, about Apple’s plans for the following wave of iPad updates. However on shut examination, the rumors is probably not as contradictory as they appear.
First up was an e-mail blast from Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman on Sunday. Noting that he had written in July that we’d see iPad refreshes earlier than the tip of the yr, he appeared to stroll that again, writing, “a brand new entry-level iPad, iPad Air and iPad mini are all in growth with quicker chips, however I don’t consider updates of any significance are imminent.”
He pointed to his prior reporting that Apple plans a significant iPad Professional replace with an OLED display screen subsequent yr, however not earlier than 2023’s finish.
Then on Monday, Supercharged revealed an article citing “sources acquainted with Apple’s media plans” stating that Apple plans to launch refreshes to the iPad Air, iPad mini, and iPad this week, presumably as quickly as Tuesday, October 17.
The iPad Air would reportedly get a bump from an M1 chip to the M2, the iPad mini would improve from the A15 to the A16, and the iPad would additionally get a bump—presumably from the A14 to the A16, although the report would not specify about that chip.
There was an early rumor that additionally mentioned that Apple plans to introduce a brand new show controller to handle the “jelly scrolling” challenge some have complained about on the present mannequin of the iPad mini. Supercharged urged these can be the one adjustments to the brand new iPads and mentioned that they might be introduced by way of press launch and media briefings reasonably than a keynote occasion. (That would not be a primary; a number of smaller refreshes to Apple merchandise have been introduced that manner, such because the M2 Professional and M2 Max MacBook Professional.)
9to5Mac went on to first corroborate Supercharged’s claims however shortly later walked that again and acknowledged that what it was listening to about was a brand new model of the Apple Pencil, pointing
The brand new Pencil would reportedly include totally different pointer attachments suited to numerous use circumstances, like one for portray and one other for drawing, for instance.
Samuel Axon
Gurman and 9to5Mac have been proper about some Apple predictions up to now, although both they or their sources have typically misunderstood particular particulars or seen timelines change.
Although at first look, it feels like some individuals are saying iPad refreshes are coming this week and a few aren’t, it isn’t far-fetched to think about that we are going to get refreshes to the iPad Air, iPad mini, and iPad alongside a Pencil refresh.
It appears unlikely Apple would introduce a brand new Pencil individually from a brand new iPad launch. (The primary-generation Pencil arrived concurrently the primary iPad Professional, and the second-generation Pencil was introduced concurrently the third-generation iPad Professional.)
The Air and the mini assist the second-generation Pencil, so a refresh of each may very well be simply nearly as good a time to announce a brand new Pencil as an iPad Professional refresh. This would not essentially contradict Gurman’s prediction; he wrote that he would not suppose “updates of any significance are imminent.” Chip refreshes and a brand new Pencil aren’t precisely groundbreaking for many iPad customers.
In any case, the iPad Air and iPad mini have not been up to date in a very long time, and so they’re due for a refresh. Apple has typically launched new merchandise round this time of yr, too, because the preliminary buzz across the new iPhones and Watches slows down.
We’ll have to attend and see, however it does appear believable that one thing mildly attention-grabbing will occur in iPad territory within the subsequent few days.
