New iPads & Macs could arrive as soon as this week

New iPad Pro models are expected to arrive soon.

The rumor mill seems to believe there will be some form of Apple product launch in the spring, with new iPads and MacBook Air models on the way. While there's some question about whether there will be an actual event or not, there's now speculation that it could happen within days.

In a Sunday post by Supercharged, the publication puts together two pieces of information that they say have been acquired from two different and unnamed sources. The publication believes they are linked.

First, it has learned that retail teams have been informed that they will be refreshing in-store signs and marketing elements in the week ahead. Set for March 7, the overhaul could see employees swapping out old demo units for new ones.

This is typical timing for a Spring reset of retail, and has been for over a decade. This is not indicative of anything on its own.

In a separate claim by the publication, Apple is said to be holding media briefings with "select members" of the press in the coming week.

It is unclear if the two are linked. However, while the report clarifies that the briefings may not relate to product launches at all, and no knowledge of what the retail refresh is for, it's speculated that it may not be a coincidence.

The report cites claims from Bloomberg's Mark Gurman in January about the mass production of new iPad Pro and MacBook Air models, and for a launch sometime in late March. In Sunday's newsletter, Gurman emphasized March to April launch window.

Supercharged also picks up on the possibility that a full-scale Apple event could be out the window, matching Gurman's latest reporting. Gurman offered that shorter videos and marketing efforts could be employed, which the report also agrees with.

We've rated this rumor as possible. The rating is not because of the source, as it has an unreliable track record as it pertains to its own rumor sourcing. The timing is possible, just given the expectations that have been floating around for six months about March 2024 releases.

There is no evidence pointing to the refresh being anything more than seasonal, and demo model installations for items like the iPad aren't scheduled in advance.

What the rumor mill can at least agree on is that Apple will launch something this spring, though maybe not as a proper Apple event.

As for what could appear, the list can include an updated iPad Air with a larger 12.9-inch variant, OLED iPad Pro updates, and Apple Pencil and Magic Keyboard changes.

The 13-inch MacBook Air and 15-inch MacBook Air may finally get the upgrade to the M3 Apple Silicon chip, bringing it in line with the MacBook Pro range.

There have also been murmurs of a Mac mini update, albeit one reusing the same design instead of a major revamp.