In a market where tablet sales are plummeting, Apple is looking to turn the tide by injecting new life into its iPad Pro line-up. According to Apple expert Mark Gurman of Bloomberg, the Cupertino-based tech giant is set to overhaul its iPad Pro series in a big way, for the first time since 2018. This comes as a response to the dwindling excitement surrounding Apple’s once-celebrated tablet category, which has reached its lowest revenue point since the onset of the pandemic in early 2020.
Apple Inc. is gearing up for a major overhaul of its iPad Pro, a much-needed move considering the current state of the tablet market. Despite being a market leader with 37% of shipments last quarter, Apple’s iPad sales have been on a decline, a trend reflected across the industry with other major manufacturers like Samsung and Lenovo also experiencing declines. A combination of factors, including the pandemic-fueled surge in tablet sales last year, the recent improvements in the Mac lineup, and the lack of compelling updates to the iPad models, have contributed to the diminishing interest in tablets.
However, Apple aims to reinvigorate the market with a completely revamped iPad Pro, marking its first major update since 2018. The new models, codenamed J717, J718, J720, and J721, will feature the next-generation M3 chip and will be the first Apple tablets to have OLED displays, which are crisper, brighter, and reproduce colors more accurately. The models will be available in 11-inch and 13-inch sizes, with a revamped Magic Keyboard that addresses complaints about the current setup and makes the iPad Pro look even more like a laptop.
While these updates are promising, they won’t be available until spring or early summer next year, meaning they won’t feature in the company’s big launch event next month, which will focus on the iPhone and Apple Watch. Nonetheless, the overhauled iPad Pro represents Apple’s best chance in years to revive the tablet market and boost its sales.
In other Apple news, the company is preparing for its big iPhone event on September 12, where it will launch the 2023 iPhone and Apple Watch. The event will follow the structure of the iPhone 14 launch, featuring a prerecorded video shown online and at the company’s headquarters, where in-person attendees will have the chance to try out the new devices after the presentation. Additionally, Apple is also getting its next software updates, iOS 17 and watchOS 10, into shape ahead of launch, with the latest beta versions suggesting they are in a good place ahead of release.
While the upcoming iPhone event and the software updates are significant, the overhauled iPad Pro is particularly noteworthy as it represents a pivotal moment for Apple to revive a declining market segment. With its new features and improvements, it could potentially change the trajectory of tablet sales for Apple and the industry as a whole.
