Update March 21: Mark Gurman of Bloomberg claims the new iPads won’t launch on March 26.
Ever since Apple launched the M3 MacBook Air earlier this month, we’ve been waiting for new iPads to follow. Now it seems as though we have a date—and we should only need to wait a little longer.
According to the Chinese-language site IT Home (via Macrumors), Apple will take the wraps off its new iPads on Tuesday, March 26, based on an analysis of several tablet-related accessories that are due to go live on Amazon. It’s not clear which models will launch first or whether there will be a short preorder period. A separate report from Display Supply Chain Consultant Ross Young claims that supplies of the 11-inch models could be more constrained than the larger 12.9-inch models.
However, a post on Thursday on X (formerly Twitter) by Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman simply says “Not true.” referring to that report. That could mean the iPads will launch on a different day next week (the M3 MacBook Air released on a Monday) or that they will arrive in April.
A separate rumor from Weibo user Instant Digital says the first round of iPad Air manufacturing has wrapped up and units are already shipping from China. So it appears that the new tablets will launch very soon.
Apple is expected to update both the iPad Air and the iPad Pro with the first new models in more than a year. The most notable update will be a completely new 12.9-inch iPad Air model as a cheaper alternative to the flagship iPad Pro. It’s also expected to get a better camera and processor. The iPad Pro is rumored to get OLED displays, an M3 processor, and a thinner design as well as a higher price tag.
Also rumored are new 11-inch and 12.9-inch Magic Keyboards that will presumably support both models of Air and Pro. Reports have said the new keyboards will be sturdier and more MacBook-like. A new Apple Pencil is also likely to launch to refresh the lineup.
After the iPad launches, Apple’s next event is likely to be WWDC in June, which should be announced next week. Apple will unveil iOS 18, iPadOS 18, macOS 15, and new versions of the rest of its operating systems. It could unveil some new hardware as well, such as a new Mac mini and Mac Studio.
Author: Michael Simon, Executive Editor, Macworld
Michael Simon has been covering Apple for more than 20 years. He started covering rumors with Spymac when the iPod was the iWalk, and has owned nearly every iPhone Apple has ever made. He lives in Connecticut with his wife, son, and far too many gadgets.