Apple does not plan to hold a traditional event to unveil new iPads and Macs, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. Instead, he said Apple plans to announce the products on its website with a "series of online videos and marketing campaigns."
If this plan is accurate, we can expect the new products to be announced with press releases on the Apple Newsroom website.
Gurman expects Apple to announce the following products:
- Two new iPad Pro models with the M3 chip and OLED displays
- A new Magic Keyboard for the iPad Pro
- Two new iPad Air models, including a first-ever 12.9-inch model
- At least one new Apple Pencil
- New 13-inch and 15-inch MacBook Air models with the M3 chip
The new iPad Pro models are expected to be thinner, and they are rumored to be equipped with a landscape-oriented front camera like the iPad 10.
March or April are also common months for Apple to release a new iPhone color, and new colors for iPhone cases and Apple Watch bands.
In terms of timing, Gurman said that Apple is planning to release a "special version" of iOS 17.4 with support for the new hardware at the end of March, leading him to expect the devices to "arrive sometime in March or April." Presumably, there would also be special iPadOS 17.4 and macOS 14.4 versions preinstalled on the new iPads and Macs.
iOS 17.4 includes major changes to the App Store and more in the EU, as a result of the Digital Markets Act. Apple has until March 6 to comply with the Digital Markets Act, in order to avoid fines, so the common belief has been that iOS 17.4 will likely be released by then. The special version would follow later in the month.
