Everything Apple plans to reveal on May 7 at its iPad Let Loose event

It’s been more than 18 months since Apple last updated its iPad lineup, the longest since Steve Jobs first introduced the product in 2010. This “drought” ends on May 7.

Therefore, within a few days, Tim Cook, the company’s CEO, is expected to present important upgrades for the iPad Pro and iPad Air, in addition to new versions of accessories for these devices. The company will make these announcements in the context of an online event called “Let Loose” which is expected to last just over half an hour.

With the change in tactics, Apple will continue the presentation at 7 a.m. Pacific time (5 p.m. Greek time), three hours earlier than usual. This means Tuesday’s event will be held at times that are just right for Apple’s friends in Europe and, perhaps more importantly, at a time that will allow consumers in Asia to watch the presentations right before bed. Increasing sales in China has been a major goal for the company recently.

Meanwhile, the period we are going through is critical for the iPad market. After a dynamic increase in sales during the pandemic, the past two years have witnessed a contraction in demand. iPad sales were particularly weak last quarter, when they fell sharply by 17%, defying analyst estimates. Apple expects iPad revenues to rebound in the current quarter and is betting on new models to regain consumer interest.

Unlike Apple’s biggest new product launches — the Worldwide Developers Conference in June and the new iPhone showcase in September — there won’t be any large, lively gathering at the company’s headquarters in Cupertino, California. Instead, Apple is holding smaller presentations in New York and London, where journalists will be able to watch video ads and test the new devices up close.

Below is a list of products expected to be presented at the event, as well as some that will follow later.

New iPads:

The protagonist is expected to be the new iPad Pro with a renewed design and a sharper display. It will be the first iPad to come with an OLED display, a technology used in iPhones as early as 2017. In addition to improving image quality, OLED displays allow for thinner devices to be designed, and it makes sense for Apple to introduce a sleeker display for the iPad Pro. The new iPads are expected to be offered with 11- and 12.9-inch displays, while they may be the first Apple devices to include M4 processors. These processors will support artificial intelligence functions, as part of Apple’s broader strengthening of its position in this area, and the company is expected to lay out itself in more detail in June.

The iPad Air, Apple’s mid-range device, is also scheduled to launch on Tuesday. Here the important development is that Apple will offer the device with the option of a second, larger screen for the first time. The 12.9-inch version will be the same size as the iPad Pro, offering consumers an affordable way to get a large-screen tablet. The current 10.9-inch version will remain, while both models will likely be upgraded with M2 processors, which Apple first introduced with the MacBook Air in 2022.

Updated accessories:

It’s no secret that the Apple Pencil will have a starring role in Tuesday’s presentation: the company pictured the stylus in the invitation to the event. The redesigned pen will offer haptic feedback, a feature that allows users to feel a slight vibration when activating pen functions. Users will also likely be able to apply light pressure on the pencil to perform certain functions. The Pencil was last updated in 2023, when Apple introduced a new, more affordable offering. The pen, which will be unveiled in the coming days, will replace the flagship model first released in 2018.

Apple will also introduce the redesigned Magic Keyboard, a peripheral that also doubles as an iPad case and includes a keyboard and mini trackpad. The new version is expected to be more durable and made of aluminum, so that the iPad it protects will look more like a laptop. There have been complaints from users about the current version tearing or falling apart after a few months of use.

They follow later:

Apple is also working on a cheaper version of the 10th generation iPad. This specific model is currently available for $449, but the company may want to round the cost down to $329 for the ninth-generation model, a move that would allow it to phase out the older version. But such a development is not expected before the end of this year at the earliest.

Meanwhile, the company is planning to revamp the iPad mini, which was last updated in 2021. However, the new model, which will include a faster processor, will not be introduced on Tuesday.

There may be some hints about the iPad Pro’s AI capabilities, but no official software-level announcements will be made until June. Next, Apple is expected to introduce iPadOS 18, as part of its Worldwide Developers Conference.

The company is also close to producing an updated, cheaper version of the AirPods, but it won’t be introduced until the fall, alongside the new iPhones.

Finally, Macs are not expected to participate in the event. Although the new iPad Pro will likely include an M4 processor – which will also be used in Macs – the new PCs will appear later in 2024.