Updated April 22
- Apple announces ‘Let Loose’ event for May 7 where it could announce the iPad Pro.
-iPad Pro 2024’s biggest upgrade could be an OLED display.
-The OLED iPad Pro could cost significantly more than previous models.
The heavily rumored iPad Pro 2024 looks set to become the must-own product for fans of Apple's high-end tablets this year. And it seems like significant key upgrades are coming to the new iPad Pro models (if rumors are to be believed). With Apple hosting an event on May 7, it's likely the company will unveil the new iPad Pro very soon.
The headline news? The latest iPad Pro could finally get an OLED screen. And after a year of no updates, that would be a hugely welcome addition. An upgraded Magic Keyboard for the elite tablet could also be on the way, as could support for the rumored Apple Pencil 3. To top it off, there's also an outside of MagSafe coming to the new iPad Pro 2024, while Apple may even offer as much as 2TB of storage for what seems destined to be the most impressive tablet Apple has ever manufactured.
The California tech giant's premium iPad is already one of the best tablets out there, but with rumors claiming we'll see a new M3 chipset, a bigger, brighter display and a revamped keyboard case, it could extend its lead. However, all of that hinges on if the price stays competitive, as Apple has been raising prices for its products across the board of late. And as we'll get to, costs could seriously rise if Apple release an iPad Pro OLED within the next few weeks.
Read on for the latest iPad Pro 2024 rumors and keep checking back here for more updates as and when we get them. Also, be sure to read our iPad Pro 2024 vs iPad Pro 2022: Biggest expected upgrades article to see how the rumored iPad Pro compares to the current model.
iPad Pro 2024 cheat sheet: Biggest rumors
- Announcement date: May 7
- Predicted release date: pre-orders May 10 - launch May 17
- Rumored price: Possibly $1,500 for OLED
- Design: Potentially lighter and slimmer
- Display: First iPad with OLED
- Specs: Apple M3 chip
- Peripherals: Updated Magic Keyboard
iPad Pro 2024: Rumored release date and price
Apple is hosting a "Let Loose" event on May 7. Given how the image associated with the event features a stylus, it's believed this will be an iPad event. It was originally expected that the new tablets would launch in March, alongside the MacBook Pro M3 but this never happened. Rumors now suggest that we may see the new iPad Pro and iPad Air 2024 launch in early May — possibly the week of May 6.
Previous reports suggest the rumored OLED iPad Pro could get a price hike. In fact, there's even been talk that the cost of a rejigged 13-inch iPad Pro model could potentially be as steep as $1,800. But a recent rumor suggests this price increase won't be as bad as feared, with Digitimes reporting the increase will be just around $160.
If these stories are accurate, it will make the new iPad Pro the first ever Apple tablet to be treated to an OLED display — the most recent iPad Pro (2022) has to contend with an inferior, though still excellent mini-LED panel.
Sibling site Laptop Mag crunched the numbers and concluded that the way Apple has a reported 50% markup for producing its tablets to selling them, we could see OLED-equipped iPad Pros jump in price by some $500 to $700. Based on that, we would see prices of $1,500 and $1,800 for the 11- and 13-inch iPad Pro models, respectively.
This is before we factor in the cost of the Apple Magic Keyboard and Apple Pencil, which currently cost $349 and $129 (respectively). That pricing would put it on par with the best laptops and best MacBooks, but for now it's important to remember that these are just rumors.
iPad Pro 2024: Design and display
The biggest design change reportedly coming to the iPad Pro is an OLED display. This specific rumor has been making the rounds for a while but it seems it will finally happen in 2024. A March release is tipped for the new OLED iPad Pro in 2024, when 11 and 12-9-inch versions could launch.
OLED screen technology would be a significant improvement on the current mini-LED tech in the 12.9-inch model, with Gurman saying the panels should be “crisper and brighter” and “reproduce colors more accurately.” Gurman also claims the 12.9-inch iPad Pro will get bumped up to a 13-inch screen, a rumor we've heard from other sources too, including Samsung. The 11-inch tablet reportedly will not receive an increase in size. Display analyst Ross Young also made this claim back in January.
Since then, there has been talk that both new Pro models will be lighter due to OLED's inherently thin display tech. We've reported on the 11-inch version being 249.7 mm x 177. 5mm x 5.1 mm, while the larger unit could be 280.6 mm x 214.9 mm x 6.0 mm.
The next iPad Pro could also sport a new glass body, which should contribute to any further weight loss. Gurman previously said this change would be coming to the current iPad Pro that is on sale now, but it could be introduced with the iPad Pro 2024. Moving to a glass back could allow you to charge the upcoming iPad Pro wirelessly but also offer a form of reverse wireless charging.
A recent leak has revealed that the iPad 2024 could come with thinner bezels than any of the prior models. According to the post, the next 11-inch and 12.9-inch iPad Pros will come with bezels that measure 7.12 mm and 7.08 mm, respectively. This would mean the iPad Pro 2024 bezels would be 10-15% thinner than the Pro models released between 2018 and 2022.
iPad Pro 2024: Rumored specs
The iPad Pro 2024 will reportedly sport the Apple M3 chip, meaning it will likely blow every other tablet out of the water when it comes to sheer horsepower and performance. The M3 uses TSMC’s 3nm process, which brings big improvements in efficiency and speed. The current iPad Pro is no slouch with its M2 processor, but this could be a significant advance.
iPad Pro 2024: Magic Keyboard
Along with the new iPad Pro, the Apple Magic Keyboard will also reportedly receive an update. According to Gurman, Apple plans to revamp the peripheral to make “the iPad Pro look even more like a laptop than the current setup” while adding a “larger trackpad."
The trackpad could also get an upgrade to an aluminum finish to put it more in line with the visual aesthetic of Apple's MacBook Air and MacBook Pro. The rumored new material should make the new iPad Pro 2024 and its premium keyboard accessory feel more like a Macbook than ever before, and the rumors of a larger trackpad should certainly come as welcome news to iPad fans with larger fingers.
The new iPad Pro also looks like it will support the rumored Apple Pencil 3 and it would certainly be cool to play around with a new OLED panel using an updated version of Crew Cupertino's iconic stylus.
iPad Pro 2024: Outlook
If the rumors are true, the iPad Pro 2024 seems poised to be the most significant update for the iPad lineup in years. Tablets like the Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra sport gorgeous OLED panels, so it’d be great to see an iPad Pro utilize the same technology.
Wireless charging would also be a welcome upgrade, as would the power the M3 chip could offer, while a more premium-looking Magic Keyboard and support for a potential Apple Pencil 3 would be further welcome additions. There's even talk that Apple will relocate the FaceTime camera from the top of the new iPad Pro to the side, mimicking what the company did with the iPad 10.
That’s all the information we have on the iPad Pro 2024 at the moment, but keeping checking back on this page as and when the latest news and rumors surface.
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