Apple is reportedly planning to launch a new iPad model that will replace the 12.9-inch iPad Pro model next year, while becoming the largest tablet sold by the company. According to a report by market research firm TrendForce, Apple is set to introduce its first two tablet models with OLED screens — a 11-inch iPad Pro and a 13-inch iPad Pro. The company’s existing iPad Pro models are equipped with Mini-LED displays and the larger model is expected to be discontinued next year.
The Taiwan-based market research firm stated in a recent report that Apple is planning on discontinuing the 12.9-inch iPad Pro model next year, when the company introduces new 11-inch and 13-inch models with OLED screens. According to TrendForce, the “shipment volume of Mini LED tablets is expected to decrease by about 15.6 percent YoY” (year-on-year) due to the expected discontinuation of the larger iPad Pro model.
As per the report, out of the two existing models, only the 11-inch iPad Pro with a Mini-LED display will be available for purchase at a cheaper price in 2024. As a result, customers could have up to three iPad Pro models to choose from next year — with the new models offering more upgrades than the OLED displays, which are expected to feature lower power consumption, improved contrast ratio, brightness, and colour accuracy compared to existing models.
Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman predicted in August that Apple is planning on launching new iPad Pro models with OLED screens and a next-generation M3 chip in 2024. It is a 3nm processor, while the M1 and M2 chips are both built on TSMC’s 5nm process technology. Apple introduced the first M3-powered Mac computers last month.
The company is also reportedly working on a redesigned Magic Keyboard that will make the tablet look and function like a laptop, along with a bigger trackpad. However, customers might have to wait until the second half of next year until the new iPad Pro models are announced — the firm is expected to introduce smaller upgrades to existing models like the iPad mini and the iPad Air before it unveils the next-generation Pro models in 2024, according to Gurman