May 7, 2024, can’t come sooner for iPad lovers. They’ve been waiting for almost two years after all, the longest they’ve waited for any iPad since the iconic Apple tablet made its debut on January 27, 2010. Steve Jobs had called it magical and revolutionary. Fourteen years and multiple releases later, some of that magic has started to fizzle or at least that is what sales numbers seem to indicate. iPad sales were down 17 percent in the last quarter as per data shared by Apple itself. Some of it had to do with no new iPad launch since 2022 and so, it goes without saying that the May 7, 2024, Apple event—which is called Let Loose—will hold the key for future success.
The Let Loose event will be entirely focused on the iPad and iPad accessories as Apple tries—one more time—to tell you how the iPad could be your best laptop replacement. Only this time, it seems, it’s packing the goods to make its words do the talking. The star of the event will reportedly be an all-new iPad Pro with Apple M4 silicon. There is the off chance that Apple may try and sell you some AI features, too, made possible on the iPad Pro 2024 courtesy the M4 chip which will also be making its global debut on May 7 at the Apple Let Loose 2024 event. If so, Apple will be flipping the script because usually these new chips tend to launch alongside a Mac or two. Anyhow, expect more details on AI, more precisely, generative AI and what the future holds for Apple in race to catch up with OpenAI/Microsoft, Google, and even Samsung, at WWDC 2024 on June 10.
Apple event 2024: Apple Let Loose iPad event on May 7 livestream details
While not technically a “live” stream, Apple will stream a pre-recorded footage of the Let Loose iPad event from Apple Park in Cupertino, California on May 7, 2024. This will be similar to how it launched new Mac products with the M3 family of chips at the Scary Fast event in October 2023. The Apple event 2024 will kick-off at 7 am Pacific Time. In India, it translates to 7:30 pm. Reports say, the event will be a little more than half an hour in duration, so expect rapid-fast announcements.
As is usually the case with recent Apple events, the Let Loose iPad event on May 7 will be available to watch on Apple.com and the company’s official YouTube channel (you can find the link down below).
Apple event 2024: What to expect at Apple Let Loose iPad event on May 7
Expect the iPad Pro to get its biggest update in years. Beginning with the design, rumour has it that Apple is going for something sleeker (which should be useful as the rumoured Magic Keyboard update is expected to be chunkier with an aluminum build). The front-facing camera should be switching to a landscape orientation, too.
The screen size is expected to be carried over and so you’re likely to get the iPad Pro 2024 in 11- and 12.9-inch sizes like before, but the panels will get the OLED treatment switching from mini-LED in the previous generation. The iPad Pro OLED switch is probably one of the most highly anticipated things to watch out for. As we mentioned before, these new iPad Pro models are also likely to get the M4 chip, which is yet to be officially announced. Previously, they were rumoured to come with the M3, which powers other Mac computers like the recently launched M3-based MacBook Air and 14-inch MacBook Pro.
The iPad Pro will be joined by the 2024 version of the iPad Air, another Apple iPad which has not been updated since 2022. Rumour has it that there will be an additional 12.9-inch version (alongside the usual 10.9-inch) available this time for people looking for a big-screen tablet on the cheap. These iPad Air 2024 models are expected to be powered by the M2 chip.
Joining the iPad Pro and iPad Air updates will be a new Apple Pencil with haptic feedback and an upgraded Magic Keyboard folio accessory that will be better suited for wear and tear, come with a bigger trackpad, and just in general, have a better shot at making the iPad 2024 updates a more legible laptop replacement.
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