Amidst plans for a refresh for the convoluted iPad lineup, Apple plans to refresh the device’s namesake product will be taking hold further down the line, according to a new report by Bloomberg‘s Mark Gurman.
In the latest edition of his Power On newsletter, Gurman writes that Apple is hoping to set more clear distinctions between each of the models in the iPad lineup. He adds that the Mac’s pandemic resurgence in sales has led Apple to look to the product line for a blueprint on how to streamline the iPad, which has failed to become the company’s main computing device.
The iPad Pro and iPad Air are top of mind for Apple, and Gurman believes the 11th-generation iPad is not due for an upgrade until “much later.” This would be a significant break from precedent for Apple’s release calendar, as the past few models of the base iPad have been released almost exactly one year apart from each other. The last iPad was released in October 2022.
When the 11th-generation iPad is released, Gurman indicates Apple will phase out the 9th-generation iPad that is currently still for sale. Discontinuing that product will put an end to the traditional bezel and home button design the iPad was founded on. He also believes this will allow Apple to discontinue the original Apple Pencil down the line, which still comes with a Lightning port.
Gurman even floats the idea that if Apple wanted to truly streamline its iPad lineup, the “ultimate way” to do that would be to just focus on the iPad Pro and iPad Air. However, he believes the company sees value in the iPad’s place in the lineup as the more affordable model to sell to education clients in competition with Chromebooks.
2023 has been a complicated year for the iPad. In September, analyst Ming-Chi Kuo indicated there would be no new iPads for the rest of the year. After a brief surge of speculation for an iPad shadow drop in October fueled by rumors posted to Weibo, Apple instead released a more affordable Apple Pencil with USB-C.
The latest reports do indicate Apple is gearing up for a big year for iPad in 2024. Apple is shifting iPad production to Vietnam as the company seeks to diversify manufacturing away from China. This 11th-generation iPad is likely to be the first to benefit from this new process as the company prefers to test new manufacturing methods on the more affordable products.
Aside from iPad news, today’s Power On newsletter also detailed plans for an M3 MacBook Air launching in March, Apple’s training for retail employees on Vision Pro sales, and more.
