TECH

New iPad, Pencil and Magic Keyboard are still on the way

Rumor rating   🤯 Probably

After the release of the MacBook Air with M3, a report claims that updated iPad models are still on the way, accompanied by new accessories.

Apple is expected to release a number of new products in quick succession, with changes to the MacBook Air and iPad Pro arriving around the same time. Although the MacBook Air with M3 was released in the first week of March, buyers are still waiting for the other rumored ones.

In Bloomberg's Sunday newsletter, Mark Gurman insists that Apple is preparing to release updated iPad Pro and iPad Air models, as well as an updated Magic Keyboard and another version of the Apple Pencil. . These changes are expected sometime in late March or April, with a possible iPadOS 17.4 release to ensure compatibility.

The long-rumored 12.9-inch iPad Air is expected to debut alongside the refreshed iPad Pros, further blurring the line between the two product classes.

One of the expected changes to the iPad Air and Pro lineup will be the FaceTime camera on all models moving to the long side of the devices, which makes more sense for FaceTime calls. The current 10th generation iPad was the first model to put the camera in landscape orientation, and iPadOS 17.4 code suggests the cameras will be in that position when users set up FaceTime on unreleased models.

However, moving your camera to landscape orientation can be expensive. The existing iPad Pros have a magnetic mount on the horizontal side that the Apple Pencil can attach to and charge at the same time, and it's unclear whether that feature will remain if the front-facing camera is moved to that position.

The biggest change to the updated Pro models will be the switch to OLED screens, which could also push up prices. Currently, the iPad Pro uses LED or mini-LED backlight technology, depending on the size.

It is likely that at least one of the expected iPad Air models, which will mimic the size of the iPad Pro, will “inherit” the quality of the mini-LED screen.

Apple Pencil

Hence, there are rumors that there will be another version of the Apple Pencil. Last year, Apple released a less expensive but non-magnetic Apple Pencil with USB-C, which can still magnetically “attach” to existing iPad Air and Pro models, but no longer charges that way, relying instead on a sliding USB-C cap. for wired charging.

However, the USB-C version is not pressure sensitive and is therefore better suited for traditional handwriting and note-taking rather than drawing. Since Apple will likely soon stop supporting the original Apple Pencil and older Lightning-based iPad models, it's hard to say what features the next version will support that go beyond those of the second-generation model.

Magic Keyboard

An updated version of the Magic Keyboard is also expected for new models.

The new version is expected to use aluminum material for the “top shell,” the area around the keyboard, to make the device more durable and more similar in appearance to the MacBook Pro and Air keyboard. . A larger trackpad area is also expected.

The external material of the updated Magic Keyboards is considered to be the same as that of the current models. Current rumors suggest that these devices will also have a USB-C port, separate from the port on the iPads themselves.

Rumour Score

🤯

Probably

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