Various reports have revealed that Apple is developing six new iPad models: a new iPad mini (7th generation), a new iPad (11th generation), a new iPad Air (6th generation) in two screen sizes (10.9-inch and 12.9-inch), and a new iPad Pro in two screen sizes (11-inch and 13-inch). Today, Ming-Chi Kuo has revealed more details about these upcoming tablets, including when they would launch and the key improvements they would offer.
Launch timeline
According to Kuo, Apple will launch the 10.9-inch and 12.9-inch 6th-generation iPad Air in Q1 2024, the 11-inch and 13-inch iPad Pro in Q2 2024, and the 7th-generation iPad mini and 11th-generation iPad in 2H 2024. Earlier reports had suggested that most of these tablets would launch much earlier than what the latest leak reveals. Kuo says that the launch timeframe of these tablets has been delayed due to production issues.
Improvements
Kuo claims that the 12.9-inch 6th-generation iPad Air will feature a display with an oxide backplane, which is the same technology that is used in the current iPad Pro models that have mini-LED displays. Reportedly, this improvement will make the display perform better compared to the screen on the current iPad Air, which has an a-Si backplane. The analyst hasn’t revealed if the same technology will be used in the 10.9-inch model as well. You can expect the two models to feature the Apple M3 chipset.
As for the 11-inch and 13-inch iPad Pro models, these tablets will feature OLED displays, as many reports have suggested so far. According to Kuo, these screens will outperform the mini-LED displays on the current models in terms of display performance and power consumption. The upcoming tablets will also feature the Apple M3 chipset. According to Kuo, the two tablets will come with a higher price tag compared to the current models since they will have much better displays and a more powerful processor.
The analyst hasn’t revealed what improvements the 7th-generation iPad mini and 11th-generation iPad will bring. However, he does say that Apple will discontinue the 9th-generation iPad, which is currently the most affordable tablet from the company, before the end of 2024. When that happens, the 10th-generation iPad will become the most affordable tablet from the tech giant. Speaking of which, last month, Apple updated the 10th-generation iPad with support for e-SIM in China.
Sales expectations
According to Kuo, Apple is expected to ship between 52 and 54 million units of iPads in 2024. This year, the company sold 50 million tablets. So, next year, the tech giant is expected to sell slightly more iPads. In 2022, Apple sold 63 million tablets, the highest number of iPads the company sold in a single year to date. The high demand was a direct result of the pandemic, which promoted the work-from-home culture.
