March iPad & Mac releases may not get a flashy event after all

AppleInsider

Apple's expected spring event may not actually happen, with new iPads and Macs instead thought to be introduced by promotional videos and website updates.

Apple CEO Tim Cook near a MacBook Air, Mac mini, and iPad Pro

Apple events are usually how the company introduces new products and updates to the public, but it doesn't happen every time. Following speculation about a spring event, it now seems that Apple won't be holding one after all.

Instead of an event, Mark Gurman's "Power On" newsletter for Bloomberg on Sunday expects that Apple will be announcing the products on its website, combining online videos with marketing campaigns.

As for when the event could occur, Gurman says that with a special version of iOS 17.4 expected at the end of the month with support for new hardware, the launches could occur sometime in March or April.

Among the launches detailed by Gurman are revamped iPad Pro models with OLED displays, a new iPad Air with a 12.9-inch display option, new Apple Pencils, and upgraded Magic Keyboards for the upmarket iPad models.

For Mac, the list of potential launches include new 13-inch MacBook Air and 15-inch MacBook Air variants sporting the M3 chip.



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GadgetGuy3.0

I suppose that means the upgrades will be iterative and nothing particularly groundbreaking.

charlesn

At first I was surprised to read this news from Gurman. I would have thought Apple marketing would want an event. But on second thought, not so much. Apple doesn't do events for speed bumps, and that's the story for the MBAs and, in large part, for the iPads, too. So you're left with an event to talk about OLED screens, the XL iPad Air and a couple of new accessories. And it's not as if the existing screens in iPad Pros aren't terrific--they are. I'm sure the OLEDs will better them in ways typical of OLED tech, but this will be iterative improvement, not jaw-dropping advancement. Of course, Apple is a company that based its whole marketing campaign for iPhone's 15 Pro models on a piece of titanium trim, so I never question their ability to make an insignificant feature seem like so much more than it is. 

TRAG

charlesn said:

At first I was surprised to read this news from Gurman. I would have thought Apple marketing would want an event. But on second thought, not so much. Apple doesn't do events for speed bumps, and that's the story for the MBAs and, in large part, for the iPads, too. So you're left with an event to talk about OLED screens, the XL iPad Air and a couple of new accessories. And it's not as if the existing screens in iPad Pros aren't terrific--they are. I'm sure the OLEDs will better them in ways typical of OLED tech, but this will be iterative improvement, not jaw-dropping advancement. Of course, Apple is a company that based its whole marketing campaign for iPhone's 15 Pro models on a piece of titanium trim, so I never question their ability to make an insignificant feature seem like so much more than it is. 

😂

retrogusto

Of course, a “special version” of iOS shouldn’t be relevant here, given that none of the devices in question run iOS. 

22july2013

So this probably means no MagSafe charging for iPads, as that would be a significant redesign which would probably be highly touted at an event.

9secondkox2

Cook is too busy wishing the Vision Pro into something good, so he won't have the Macs and iPads shining too brightly this Spring.

nubus

We have seen Apple resellers end campaigns today in Northern Europe. There have been campaigns like never before. It will then take 2 weeks before customers can't return products. With Easter being early then March 19th could be an option. Perhaps some products will see silent upgrades (those not having USB C connectors) but MacBook Air M3 and the first iPads in 2 years + to tell how big a success Car AVP is. Apple is in need of a "live" event.

charlesn

22july2013 said:

So this probably means no MagSafe charging for iPads, as that would be a significant redesign which would probably be highly touted at an event.

Your post reminded me of all the times I've wished my iPad Mini had MagSafe charging! Yeah, MagSafe for iPad definitely would be REALLY nice to have, especially when using it as a second screen. 

discountopinion

Personally I am hoping that MacBook and iPad get a muted announcement and i hope that Apple is instead spending their fanfare gunpowder on a splash on Home and Wearables related products.

MacBook updates are pretty foreseeable and iPad updates are useful, but incremental these days. Overall the iPad product mix feels like it could use some cleanup. I feel that people likely rarely upgrade their iPads these days for better features, but likely replace iPads when they stop working or just get too slow. Personally i have no need for iPad or MacBook upgrades this year or likely some years further in the future.

I am holding out for AirPods Max 2. It is clear that social media has bumped adoption of Max v1 as you see lots of kids running around with them nowadays compared to just a year or two ago. Hopefully Apple leans into this with a massive boost and trumpeted launch of new ones. 

Apple TV feels like it would massively benefit from a revamp to move HomeKit/Matter forward and also enable multiple users connected to it for Fitness + and enable multiplayer local and remote exercising. Would love to have AppleTV also support USB connected webcams instead of only relying on iPhone or iPad for camera. If Apple is serious about AppleTV as a gaming platform then getting hardware raytracing (A17 or M3) seems like the next step with a price bump. Maybe a GenAI/LLM hub for the home to power local Siri with large models that HomePods cannot handle? Also why no UWB chip in AppleTV?

HomePod - Love my HomePod 2’s that co-exist in a home with some old HomePods and HomePod Minis. I feel it is time to take it to the next level. Enable people to build large sets of HomePods in a room. Like running 4x HomePod 2’s for home cinema with an AppleTV next gen. As HomePods get more silicon horse power then perhaps it may be an idea to revisit AirPort functionality for the large HomePod.


 

tht

22july2013 said:

So this probably means no MagSafe charging for iPads, as that would be a significant redesign which would probably be highly touted at an event.

MagSafe is already on iPad Air and iPad Pro models. It has magnets and 3 pogo pins for charging and data. An accessory maker can make a back only cover that has a battery inside. With the right magnets, it will magnetically attach and start charging the iPad's battery through the pogo pins. Hopefully the new Magic Keyboard case will include batteries instead of dead weight.

Not a lot of need for it as not a lot of people are using their iPads in cars or have them in pockets. I would like to have it be TB3 protocol so a user can just latch it on to a stand at a desk, extend its display to an external monitor with dock. But, Apple doesn't see iPads as a "PC".

multimedia

Like I said in other posts, skip M3.

9secondkox2

retrogusto said:

Of course, a “special version” of iOS shouldn’t be relevant here, given that none of the devices in question run iOS. 

The ten though apple gave it a different name and minimal double-tasking behavior, everyone equates iPad is with iOS. Because they’re basically the same thing. 

RandyMacFan

I'd buy the OLED iPad Pro Mini.  I'd also find the new 11.6" Macbook Air hard to resist.

longfang

multimedia said:

Like I said in other posts, skip M3.

Why I’m still on A12X. An M3 would be a huge upgrade. 

9secondkox2

longfang said:

multimedia said:

Like I said in other posts, skip M3.

Why I’m still on A12X. An M3 would be a huge upgrade. 

It’s also a decent bump from m1. 

But if y
you haven’t gotten into m series at all yet, it’s a giant leap. So no… don’t skip m3. 

charlesn

RandyMacFan said:

I'd buy the OLED iPad Pro Mini.  I'd also find the new 11.6" Macbook Air hard to resist.

Yeah, I'd love to see a reboot of the Macbook Retina 12", but with a real M chip in it this time around and not the Core M from Intel! Not going to get it, of course. Kind of ironic that Apple branded its own silicon with the same letter as the most maligned chip ever dropped into a Macbook.