What you should know
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- Apple‘s iPad release schedule has been unpredictable, with various models being released at different times of the year, breaking the traditional fall release cycle.
- The “One More Thing” tradition, started by Steve Jobs, highlights Apple’s history of surprising its audience with unexpected product announcements at the end of events.
- Apple has not shied away from hosting surprise events, such as the “Scary Fast” event in 2023 and the unexpected iPad and iPad Pro announcement in May 2024, despite not releasing any iPads in 2023.
- The changing tech landscape, including advancements in AR/VR and AI, might be influencing Apple’s strategy and timing for new product releases, including the iPads.
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Full Story
Oh boy, it feels like just yesterday when whispers about the next-gen iPad Pro and iPad Air started buzzing around. Now, we’re hearing about their “imminent release.” Initially, everyone was betting on March, then April rolled around, and… nothing. But hey, May’s the charm, right? Apple just dropped a surprise event invite for May 7 out of the blue. Gurman, that oracle, finally hit the mark after a couple of misses.
So, why the sudden surprise event? And why does this time feel a tad different? Let’s dive in.
Apple’s dance with iPad releases has always been a bit of a head-scratcher. Unlike the iPhone, which has its grand entrance around the same time each year, iPads seem to pop up whenever they feel like it. Take the iPad Air, for instance. Its release dates are all over the calendar. From October to March and then some. It’s like trying to predict the weather in spring – good luck with that.
And then there’s the iPad Pro. Its release pattern is equally whimsical, with debuts in fall, spring, and even a summer cameo during WWDC 2017. It’s as if Apple’s playing release date bingo with us.
Now, for a quick detour, let’s glance at the regular iPad and the mini. The standard iPad seemed to favor fall for its latest outings, a shift from its more erratic past. 2023, though, left us hanging with no new iPad. As for the iPad mini, it mostly sticks to fall, except for that one spring fling in 2019.
But Apple’s penchant for surprises isn’t limited to its iPads. Remember “One More Thing”? That was Steve Jobs’ way of saying, “But wait, there’s more!” And boy, did they deliver – from the AirPort to the iPhone X. It’s a tradition that’s given us some iconic moments, though we’ve been on a bit of a “One More Thing” drought since 2017.
Speaking of surprises, Apple’s been keeping us on our toes with events like the “Scary Fast” reveal of the M3-powered iMac in 2023. Nobody saw that coming. And let’s not forget the March 2022 event that threw new colors for the iPhone 13, a fresh iPad Air, and an iPhone SE at us.
Historically, Apple’s event calendar has been pretty predictable, with spring, WWDC in summer, and fall events. But as we’ve seen, they’re not afraid to throw a curveball our way.
Which brings us to 2023 – the year without an iPad. Well, except for the Vision Pro. It’s a big deal, marking Apple’s foray into AR/VR. Plus, with the tech world’s AI obsession, it’s no wonder Apple’s been busy (they even snagged an AI company recently).
So, what’s the deal with this May event? Gurman’s betting on the new iPad Air and iPad Pro models making their debut. But with WWDC just around the corner, could Apple hold off on the iPad Pro to sync up with the new iPadOS release? And what about the entry-level iPad and iPad mini, rumored for a later reveal this year?
Guess we’ll just have to wait and see. Apple’s always got a surprise up its sleeve, after all.
