Various models of Apple Inc. iPad at the company’s Yeouido store when it opened in Seoul, South Korea, on February 26, 2021.
Photographer: Jean Chung / Bloomberg
Photographer: Jean Chung / Bloomberg
Apple Inc. expects to announce new iPads as early as April, adding to a product line that has performed particularly well when working and studying from home, according to people with experience in the case.
The company plans to upgrade its iPad Pro line, adding an improved processor and improved cameras, the people said. The newer models will look similar to the standard iPad Pros and come in the same 11-inch and 12.9-inch screen sizes.
The latest MacBook Air, MacBook Pro and Mac mini will have an updated processor equivalent to the fastest M1 chip. Apple designs these processors themselves and they are usually made by Tha Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. Apple is also looking at introducing a Mini-LED screen with at least the larger model, which would be brighter and would have improved contrast ratios.
In an experiment, the new iPad Pros has used a Thunderbolt connector, the only port on the latest Macs with standard Apple processors. The port does not require new chargers, but would allow connection to external monitors, hard drives and other peripherals. It is also faster at configuring data than the USB-C technology used in the standard models.
An Apple spokesman declined to comment. The company has yet to announce their first production event of the year, so their plans may change.
The iPad generated $ 8.4 billion in revenue for Apple in the main holiday quarter of 2020, the most since 2014. Sales jumped on demand from people who worked and studied from home at the time of the pandemic. As employees and students begin returning to offices and schools in the coming months, Apple will be betting on the new iPad models to keep interest in the lineup.
IPad WFH Pop
Apple’s record sales jumped last year during the Covid-19 pandemic
Source: Data compiled by Bloomberg
The iPad Pro was last updated in March 2020 at the start of the pandemic, adding a print processor, support for the Magic Keyboard with a Trackpad case, and a lidar scanner next to the camera.
Apple plans to upgrade its cheapest iPad aimed at students with thinner and lighter designs later this year, Bloomberg News has reported. They are also preparing to launch a new iPad mini with a bigger screen as early as this year, an upgrade from the 7.9-inch display used from the first model. The iPad mini was last updated in 2019 with support for Apple Pencil style and faster processor.
Apple has several other product updates this year. The company is working on new iPhones and Apple Watches, an accessory for tracking physical location, and major updates to a MacBook Pro laptop and iMac desktop.