Apple released a lot of new stuff this year. WWDC unveiled new software and teased the upcoming Vision Pro headset. September’s event ushered in the latest iPhone range and two Apple Watch revisions. The Mac lineup has been updated at three separate times throughout 2023, most recently with the release of two M3 models.
Notable by its absence this year is the humble iPad, which was last refreshed in 2022. No further updates are expected until at least March 2024, meaning this will be the first time Apple has gone a full calendar year without tweaking the iPad lineup. That likely points towards a huge refresh for iPad next year, with analyst Mark Gurman suggesting Apple will update the entire lineup over the next 12 months.
Rumors for iPad updates variously point to new Pro models with OLED, updates for iPad, iPad Air, and iPad mini, and perhaps the release of a budget-conscious iPad SE. But with the iPad lineup currently as confusing as it’s ever been, Apple’s timing might even present the chance to rethink the entire hierarchy. Do they really need to offer six distinct models with so much crossover?
We wrote last year about the minefield of choosing the right iPad, and hopefully 2024 is the year things change for the simpler. But even if Apple sticks with its muddled lineup, we can at least expect each model to get a significant performance boost and some new features. Time will tell.