Newsletter
The rumor mill has been buzzing about whether we would see new iPads this fall. And it looks like we finally have our answer. Which is no. This is the first time that Apple has not released new iPads in the fall, in many, many years. But the good news is, three new iPads are coming in the Spring.
According to Gurman in his Power On Newsletter for Bloomberg, the company is planning to release an iPad 11th-generation, iPad Mini seventh-generation and an iPad Air sixth-generation in March 2024. These are not full redesigns, according to Gurman, but instead smaller iPad changes. That is why we might not see an iPad Pro at this same time. He added that only the “more minor” upgrades appear to be locked down right now. This makes sense, since we are about five months out right now.
What about that weird new Apple Pencil?
Last week, everyone was talking about the new Apple Pencil, for a variety of reasons. It’s a very strange product update from Apple, it doesn’t charge magnetically (but connects magnetically), and instead uses a USB-C port, but it also removed pressure sensitivity. Basically making it a super cheap pencil, even cheaper than the original Apple Pencil which even had pressure sensitivity when it debuted eight years ago.
Well, Gurman has shed some light on that product. He believes that the original Apple Pencil will be discontinued soon, likely when the iPad 9th-generation gets discontinued. As that would be the last Lightning iPad in its lineup, and the only iPad that this new Apple Pencil does not work with. This is actually what I had thought Apple was doing last week, when the product was announced.
Basically, the Apple Pencil lineup is going to be confusing until that old iPad 9th-generation is discontinued. Then it’ll be a $79 Apple Pencil or a $129 Apple Pencil. But that 9th-generation iPad might not be going anywhere anytime soon. As it’s a big seller for education, mostly because of the price.