iPad Air refresh could skip event for press release launch instead

Fourth-gen iPad Air in green and fifth-gen iPad Air in blue

Apple's iPhone 15 special event will probably not include any iPads at all during the presentation, Mark Gurman says, with updates to the iPad Air potentially coming in October instead.

The "Wonderlust" event on Tuesday will see the annual launch of Apple's latest iPhone models, the iPhone 15, along with other products. However, it's now claimed that the other items Apple will reveal won't include iPads.

Speaking to MacRumors, Mark Gurman explained that Apple won't be introducing any iPad models during the event at all. Instead, the event will focus just on iPhones and the Apple Watch Series 9 updates.

While iPads will be absent in September according to Gurman, they could see a refresh in October, albeit for the non-Pro models. The iPad Pro will apparently be updated in 2024.

The iPad Air is viewed by Gurman as a good candidate for launch, but he offers few concrete details during the conversation. Gurman believes an updated model with better specifications is on the way and "coming soonish."

The October refresh may not actually be event-based, Gurman continues, and he is skeptical that another presentation will be held for other product categories this year. In theory, Gurman proposes that it could be a quieter press release-based introduction for the new models.

"I'm not sure they have enough to drag people down to Cupertino to watch the video like they do for this iPhone 15 launch," Gurman muses.

The lack of an iPad showing in September is a continued blow to fans expecting a packed presentation. On Friday, Ming-Chi Kuo forecast that M3 MacBook models won't be arriving in 2023 at all.

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5 Comments

davidmalcolm

said about 7 months ago

If there’s no M3 which wouldn’t surprise me, then that would mean no iPad Pro refresh, no Max refresh unless the iMac was going to get M2. Everything else has already been refreshed.
it does seem a little weird to have a whole event to spec bump the 10th gen iPad and the Air. So unless they’re totally overhauling the Air with something like Face ID. I wouldn’t be surprised if we only got one event this fall.

robjn

said about 7 months ago

I think there is a good chance of seeing iPads on Tuesday (probably an Air with M2) for the following reasons:

1) Last time the iPad Air was updated (18 months ago) it was a complete surprise to everyone. Gurman and the rest of the rumor mill insisted there would be no iPads at that time but everyone was wrong. They could all be wrong about this again.

2) The iPad Air has been announced in September alongside iPhone in the past. The update before last, (3 years ago) was alongside iPhones in September. So those (like Jason Snell) that are saying “iPads are a different event”, are just plain wrong.

3) A couple of days ago Procreate unveiled amazing iPad only animation software. This software would be perfect for Apple to feature in an iPad announcement. The Procreate software was announced very early because it won’t be available until November 22. In the past, companies have unveiled new products days before Apple events because their product is being featured in an Apple demo and they want to announce it themselves and tell their own story rather than it just show up in another company’s video. The Procreate Dream announcement could foreshadow a Procreate Dream demo on a new iPad Air during the event on Tuesday.

4) The iPad Air will get M2. It will be the last device to get M2 just as it was the last device to get M1. It’s not going to get M3 (as Gurman has lazily suggested) because that would obviously make it better than the iPad Pro. Since it will get M2 it will be probably be announced before the M3 product cycle begins. So if an M3 iMac is coming in October, I think Apple will want to do the M2 iPad Air in September.

canukstorm

said about 7 months ago

robjn said:

I think there is a good chance of seeing iPads on Tuesday (probably an Air with M2) for the following reasons:

1) Last time the iPad Air was updated (18 months ago) it was a complete surprise to everyone. Gurman and the rest of the rumor mill insisted there would be no iPads at that time but everyone was wrong. They could all be wrong about this again.

2) The iPad Air has been announced in September alongside iPhone in the past. The update before last, (3 years ago) was alongside iPhones in September. So those (like Jason Snell) that are saying “iPads are a different event”, are just plain wrong.

3) A couple of days ago Procreate unveiled amazing iPad only animation software. This software would be perfect for Apple to feature in an iPad announcement. The Procreate software was announced very early because it won’t be available until November 22. In the past, companies have unveiled new products days before Apple events because their product is being featured in an Apple demo and they want to announce it themselves and tell their own story rather than it just show up in another company’s video. The Procreate Dream announcement could foreshadow a Procreate Dream demo on a new iPad Air during the event on Tuesday.

4) The iPad Air will get M2. It will be the last device to get M2 just as it was the last device to get M1. It’s not going to get M3 (as Gurman has lazily suggested) because that would obviously make it better than the iPad Pro. Since it will get M2 it will be probably be announced before the M3 product cycle begins. So if an M3 iMac is coming in October, I think Apple will want to do the M2 iPad Air in September.

I don't think Apple will announce / release any M3-based device until the Vision Pro (which is powered by M2) is officially released for sale.

chasm

said about 7 months ago

robjn said:

4) The iPad Air will get M2. It will be the last device to get M2 just as it was the last device to get M1.

Assuming they update the iPad Air to M2 tomorrow as you believe, that means the iMac will be the last device to move on from the M1. I hope you’re right.

marc g

said about 7 months ago

chasm said:

robjn said:

4) The iPad Air will get M2. It will be the last device to get M2 just as it was the last device to get M1.

Assuming they update the iPad Air to M2 tomorrow as you believe, that means the iMac will be the last device to move on from the M1. I hope you’re right.

The iPad was the last M2 based device to be announced, but not the last device remaining. That title goes to the M1 iMac.

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