UPDATE: 2024/03/22 05:00 EST BY SANUJ BHATIA
Article updated to incorporate new details about the OLED displays on the upcoming 2024 iPad Pro.
Key Highlights
- New OLED displays will introduce vibrant colors and larger sizes to the 2024 iPad Pro models for an enhanced user experience. A matte screen option may also be offered.
- Thinner design, landscape front-facing camera, and laptop-like Magic Keyboard make the upcoming iPad Pro more sleek and advanced.
- An updated Magic Keyboard with a larger trackpad and potential function keys is expected to enhance the iPad Pro user experience.
Since its revamp in 2018, the iPad Pro has seen incremental improvements without much change in design. However, in 2024, the iPad Pro lineup is expected to undergo notable enhancements, potentially breaking the pattern of minor updates. Let’s delve into the anticipated upgrades for the 2024 iPad Pro, set to be launched in late March or early April, as per reliable journalist Mark Gurman.
1. New OLED Displays for 2024 iPad Pro
The 11-inch iPad Pro currently uses a Liquid Retina LED display with 600 nits typical brightness and 120Hz refresh rate. The 12.9-inch model shifted to a mini-LED panel in 2021. In 2024, a shift to OLED panels will unify the models, offering enhanced color contrast and viewing experiences.
OLED technology, previously seen in iPhones, will bring larger displays to the iPad Pro lineup, providing a significant visual upgrade for both creative professionals and casual users.
Moreover, reports suggest a new matte display option for the upcoming iPad Pro models, featuring blue-light filter tech for eye protection and thinner bezels for a sleeker look.
2. Sleeker and Improved Design
Leaked CAD renders depict a notably slimmer design for the 2024 iPad Pro models, with the 11-inch variant expected to reduce to 5.1mm thickness and the 12.9-inch model to 5.0mm. Changes also include a potential front-facing camera shift to the landscape position for improved video calls.
3. Updated Magic Keyboard for 2024 iPad Pro
The Magic Keyboard is anticipated to receive its first update since 2020, featuring changes to provide a more laptop-like look and a larger trackpad for enhanced functionality.
Improvements to the Magic Keyboard are expected to include added function keys, aligning with the excellent user experience provided by the current Magic Keyboard Folio.
4. New Apple Pencil to arrive alongside the 2024 iPad Pro
Expectations are high for a new Apple Pencil launch accompanying the 2024 iPad Pro models. Speculations suggest a redesign, glossy finish, and improved magnetic tip, with possible color-sampling capabilities.
5. Next-generation M3 Processor for Even Better Performance
The 2024 iPad Pro is expected to transition to the next-generation M3 processors, offering enhanced performance compared to the current M2. This upgrade, using 3-nanometer fabrication technology, promises increased efficiency and performance improvements, potentially breaking new ground in battery life.
Arriving Late March / Early April
While initial reports suggested a launch date of March 26, 2024, conflicting information indicates that the iPads may not be revealed at that time. The launch is more likely to happen in early April, with a special iPadOS 17.4 update expected for the new models without a standalone launch event.