Apple is reportedly planning to release a major overhaul of its iPad Pro for next year, in a bid to revitalise the stagnant tablet market. According to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, the new iPad Pros – codenamed J717, J718, J720 and J721 – will utilise more powerful processor, possibly the next-gen M3 chip. The new line up will also be Apple’s first tablets with OLED displays and come in 11-inch and 13-inch sizes. Currently the largest model measures 12.9 inches in size.
Gurman expects the new iPad Pro to feature a revamped Magic keyboard. It will make the tablet look more like a laptop with a larger keypad. The move comes as the tablet market has been struggling in recent years. Sales of tablets have declined steadily since emergence from pandemic, as consumers have increasingly turned to smartphones and laptops for their computing needs. Large screen phones have further made it difficult for the tablets to survive in the market.
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Apple’s new iPad Pro may reverse this trend. The company is targeting major fundamental upgrades to its iPad Pro lienup since 2018. The iPad Pro’s design has remained largely unchanged since its 2018 debut, while the iPad mini has gone without an update for two years, Gurman highlights.
Mark Gurman attributes these factors for poor iPad sales- confusing Apple iPad comparison page, company’s inadvertent competition with itself by making Macs more durable and cost-effective alternative and challenging usability of Stage Manager feature.
Separate rumour reports from Korean website The Elec claims that Apple will begin mass production of new iPad Pro models with OLED displays in the first quarter of 2024. The company will reportedly use ultra-thin hybrid OLED panels built out of a combination of rigid and flexible materials. This will also allow the new iPad Pros to have a thinner design. The cost of manufacturing this panels could be high which may directly impact the pricing of the device. This means you should expect your new iPad Pros to be expensive.
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