Apple Plans to Clear Up Cluttered iPad Lineup, iPad Air to Be Updated With M2 Chip: Report

Both the upcoming iPad Pro and the iPad Air will be available in two display sizes.

Written by Manas Mitul, Edited by Siddharth Suvarna | Updated: 11 December 2023 12:52 IST

Apple Plans to Clear Up Cluttered iPad Lineup, iPad Air to Be Updated With M2 Chip: Report

Photo Credit: Apple

The new iPad Pro and iPad Air models will reportedly launch in March

Highlights

The 9th geniPad will be phased out when the 11th gen model is launched
iPad Pro models will get the M3 chip, OLED displays
The iPad Pro will also get a revamped magic keyboard attachment

Apple did not introduce new iPad models this year and is believed to be planning a long overdue overhaul of its popular tablet lineup in 2024. The Cupertino, California-based company is said to be working on introducing new iPad Pro and iPad Air models next year. Apple is also reportedly planning to clear up its cluttered iPad offerings. The iPhone maker currently sells five different iPad models — the iPad Pro, iPad Air, ninth and 10th generation regular iPad models, and the iPad mini. A new report says that the company intends to establish distinction between the Pro and Air models, with the former getting an M3 chipset.

According to Mark Gurman's Power On newsletter on Bloomberg, the upcoming iPad Pro models will bring changes that clearly distinguish them as the top-of-the-line iPad. In addition to the M3 chip, the next iPad Pro will reportedly get an OLED screen, a revamped magic keyboard accessory, and an updated design.

The upcoming iPad Air models, on the other hand, will run on the lower-powered M2 chip. While this represents a step down from the Pro model, it will be a considerable upgrade over the 10th generation standard iPad, which is powered by an A14 Bionic chip.

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Both the iPad Pro and iPad Air will reportedly arrive in two different screen sizes. The Air will include 10.9-inch and 12.9-inch display variants, while the Pro model will offer slightly bigger displays at 11 and 13 inches. As reported last week, both the new iPad Pro and the iPad Air are set to be introduced in March 2024.

The current iPad lineup
Photo Credit: Apple

Gurman's reporting is in line with claims made by TF Securities analyst, Ming-Chi Kuo, last month. In a Medium post, Kuo had said that the iPad Pro would get an OLED screen and the M3 chip. He'd also said that both the new iPad Air and the iPad Pro would arrive in two display sizes.

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In the latest newsletter, Gurman also says that the 10th generation iPad won't be getting an update any time soon, and Apple will only discontinue the ninth-generation iPad when an 11th generation model is introduced. The iPad mini, too, will reportedly get an upgraded chip later down the line.

Apple is also planning on launching new MacBook Air models around March. According to the report, the new models are codenamed J613 and J615 and will be powered by the M3 chip.

Last month, it was reported that Apple plans to fit its iPad mini and iPad Air models with OLED screens in 2026. The iPad mini is also likely to get a slightly larger display compared with the existing model. The iPad mini was last updated in 2021 while the latest iPad Air model was introduced last year.

Is the new expensive 10th generation iPad worth buying instead of its predecessor? We discuss this on Orbital, the Gadgets 360 podcast. Orbital is available on Spotify, Gaana, JioSaavn, Google Podcasts, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music and wherever you get your podcasts.

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Apple iPad Pro 12.9-inch (2022) Wi-Fi

KEY SPECS
NEWS

Display 12.90-inch

Processor Apple M2

Front Camera 12-megapixel

Resolution 2732x2048 pixels

RAM 8GB

OS iPadOS 16

Storage 128GB

Rear Camera 12-megapixel + 10-megapixel

More Apple Tablets

Apple iPad Air (2022) Wi-Fi

KEY SPECS
NEWS

Display 10.90-inch

Processor Apple M1

Front Camera 12-megapixel

Resolution 2360x1640 pixels

RAM 8GB

OS iPadOS 15

Storage 64GB

Rear Camera 12-megapixel

More Apple Tablets

Apple iPad (2022) Wi-Fi + Cellular

REVIEW
KEY SPECS
NEWS

Design
Display
Software
Performance
Battery Life
Camera
Value for Money

Good
Premium build quality, USB Type-C port
Large Display
Smooth performance
Feature-rich software
Excellent front camera
Good battery life
20W charger in the box

Bad
No support for Apple Pencil (2nd gen)
Slow data transfer speeds
Display could have been brighter for outdoor use
Pricing on the higher side

Read detailed Apple iPad (2022) Wi-Fi + Cellular review

Display 10.90-inch

Front Camera 12-megapixel

Resolution 2360x1640 pixels

OS iPadOS 16

Storage 64GB

Rear Camera 12-megapixel

More Apple Tablets

Apple iPad (2021) Wi-Fi

KEY SPECS
NEWS

Display 10.20-inch

Front Camera 12-megapixel

Resolution 2160x1620 pixels

OS iPadOS 15

Storage 64GB

Rear Camera 8-megapixel

More Apple Tablets

Apple iPad mini (2021) Wi-Fi

KEY SPECS
NEWS

Display 8.30-inch

Front Camera 12-megapixel

Resolution 2266x1488 pixels

OS iPadOS 15

Storage 64GB

Rear Camera 12-megapixel

More Apple Tablets

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Further reading: Apple, iPad, iPad Air, iPad Pro, iPad Mini, Magic Keyboard

Manas Mitul

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In his time as a journalist, Manas Mitul has written on a wide spectrum of beats including politics, culture and sports. He enjoys reading, walking around in museums and rewatching films. Talk to Manas about football and tennis, but maybe don’t bring up his video game backlog. More