The iPad Pro 2024 duo is days away: on May 7, a bigger (12.9-inch) and a smaller (11-inch) version of the slate will finally upgrade Apple's tablet line.
This comes after a whole year without new iPad Pro models, leaving consumers with the 2022 model, a.k.a. the iPad Pro 6th Gen. The upcoming iPad Pro 2024 (that's the 7th iPad Pro generation) promises to offer significant updates (OLED displays) and new features. This will come at a cost, though!
The iPad Pro 2024 was expected first in March, then in April, but the announced May 7 date comes with a welcomed surprise. Instead of getting a press release, announcing the iPad Pro 2024 duo, there's going to be an event!
Apple calls it "Let Loose".
Price speculation for the iPad Pro 2024 models has varied. Recent reports indicate a potential $160-$200 price hike for the new models, maintaining the premium pricing strategy of the iPad Pro line.
The iPad Pro 2024's camera may see updates, particularly in the selfie camera's orientation, with hints at a landscape-oriented Face ID camera. This would be a change from the current design, where the TrueDepth Camera for Face ID is positioned for portrait use.
Storage options for the iPad Pro 2024 are expected to remain similar to the 2022 model, with capacities ranging from 128GB to 2TB. Rumors of a 4TB storage option have surfaced, suggesting Apple may aim to position the new iPad Pro as a more laptop-like device, possibly accompanied by a revamped Magic Keyboard.
Design rumors for the iPad Pro 2024 have included potential changes like slimmer bezels and a glass back for MagSafe wireless charging.
It's also expected the iPad Pro 2024 duo to get a new Apple Pencil that's probably also to be announced at the May 7 "Let Loose" event. The digital writing instrument is rumored to include a "squeeze" gesture that would be used to add stickers, shapes, signatures, or text to the content on the display of a compatible iPad.
In other words, we can't wait for the iPad Pro 2024 to arrive. Let's take an even closer look!
Although none other than Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said the release of the new iPad Pro 2024 series can be expected in April with nothing more than a press release, the following date is the correct one:
May 7, 2024
Every 1-2 years, the iPad Pro is refreshed, with an average of about 1.5 years in between generations. The exception to the rule was 2023, the year that Apple didn't refresh not only the iPad Pro, but failed to present any other iPad, saving the tablet mania for 2024.
In the table below, you can see a detailed breakdown of the lineup's history prior to this year's iPad Pro:
Model
Announcement date
Launch date
11" (1st generation)
October 30, 2018
November 7, 2018
12.9" (4th generation)
March 18, 2020
March 25, 2020
11" (2nd generation)
March 18, 2020
March 25, 2020
12.9" (5th generation)
April 20, 2021
May 21, 2021
11" (3rd generation)
April 20, 2021
May 21, 2021
12.9" (6th generation)
October 18, 2022
October 26, 2022
11" (4th generation)
October 18, 2022
October 26, 2022
iPad Pro 2024 price
The next iPad Pro duo is at the door and the price speculations are dripping.
For almost a year, we lived with the possibility of some ludicrous price tags for the iPad Pro 2024 devices. A nasty rumor had it that 11- and 12.9-inch iPad Pros were to be expected at $1,500 and $1,800, respectively. That’s almost double the $800 base price of the smaller 11-inch 2022 slate with an LCD panel.
Price hike on the horizon: A recent report had it that price hikes for the new iPad Pro duo could be in the $160-$200 range. Given the 11-inch iPad Pro’s (from 2022) price that starts at $799, a $160 increase would equate to $959. The 12.9-inch tablet, equipped with a mini-LED display and currently offered at $1,099, would sport a slightly larger 13-inch screen and carry a $1,259 price tag (for the base variant).
Here’s Apple's current iPad Pro pricing, which the company did not change with the launch of the latest generation in 2022, which is as follows:
Storage
iPad Pro 11" (Wi-Fi)
iPad Pro 11" (Wi-Fi + Cellular)
iPad Pro 12.9" (Wi-Fi)
iPad Pro 12.9" (Wi-Fi + Cellular)
128GB
$799
$999
$1099
$1299
256GB
$899
$1099
$1199
$1399
512GB
$1099
$1299
$1399
$1599
1TB
$1499
$1699
$1799
$1999
2TB
$1899
$2099
$2199
$2399
It should be noted that one of the main reasons why Apple did not increase the price of the iPad Pro (2022) is that the latter is largely an incremental update. The 2024 model could introduce some substantial (and costly) changes (like OLED displays) which could ultimately push Apple to make it more expensive.
iPad Pro 2024 camera
A camera reposition: The camera is seldom the focal point (pun intended) of an iPad release. Having said that, the selfie camera on the iPad Pro could undergo some changes. Some findings in the iOS 17.4 code pointed at Apple’s plans to make an iPad model with a Face ID camera in landscape orientation. That iPad model is probably an upcoming iPad Pro.
Currently, every iPad Pro variant with the TrueDepth Camera for Face ID has the camera on the side when the tablet is held in landscape. This is done so that the camera is at the top of the iPad Pro when it is held in portrait.
The only iPad model available now with a front-facing camera at the top of the device in landscape is the 10th-generation iPad, which is the most basic iPad model in the current lineup. As a result, the device uses Touch ID instead of Face ID, and the tablet does not use the TrueDepth Camera.
iPad Pro 2024 storage
Storage options are a rather sensitive subject when it comes to Apple products. Many have speculated for years that Apple will increase the base storage of its 'Pro' devices to 256GB, in order to better reflect the moniker. Currently, this seems rather unlikely.
Our take: We expect the iPad Pro 2024 to come with the same storage options as the 2022 model. The current configurations are: 128GB, 256GB, 512GB, 1TB and 2TB. Additionally, it is very likely that the 1TB and 2TB models come equipped with more RAM, as is the case at present.
There's a wild rumor from the first days of September 2023 claiming that next year's iPad Pro tablets could offer a 4TB storage variant. Insane, right? Rumors suggest that Apple wants to position the 2024 iPad Pro as a laptop-like slate.
The company is apparently even planning a revamped aluminum Magic Keyboard with a bigger trackpad for the new lineup. It's possible that Apple could decide to increase the base storage to 256GB after the introduction of a 4TB model. After all, six storage options would be a bit too much, and besides, the 128GB model doesn't support ProRes video, so perhaps it's time to stop offering a 128GB variant.
iPad Pro 2024 design
Rumors about a potential iPad Pro design revamp have been circulating for a couple of years now. Many tipsters have claimed that we can (eventually) expect slimmer bezels, a glass back, a notch, and even the addition of the Dynamic Island - the possibilities are seemingly endless.
Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, in his Power On newsletter, was quite certain that Apple was planning to enlarge the logo on the back of the iPad Pro with the 2022 model, in order to allow the latter to facilitate wireless charging via MagSafe. Needless to say, that prediction did not materialize. However, Gurman has recently stated that we can expect the 2024 iPad Pro to arrive with an updated design, perhaps one featuring the aforementioned tweak. The model numbers for the 2024 iPad Pro, according to Gurman, will be J717, J718, J720 and J721.
In the first days of 2024, the glass back was brought back to the table by insiders. It's only logical for Apple to go with the glass back for the upcoming iPad Pro in order to support MagSafe wireless charging. This year's iPad Pro models could also support the new 15W Qi2 wireless chargers that third-party manufacturers are making. The MagSafe wireless charger will give iPad users slower wireless charging options besides the faster wired USB-C charging option.
Familiar, but thinner design: In the very last day of February 2024, CAD drawings revealed familiar but thinner design for 2024 iPad Pro tablets. Based on this rumor, the dimensions of the upcoming 11-inch and 12-9 inch top-of-the-line iPads are as follows:
Current 11-inch iPad Pro - 247.6mm x 178.5mm x 5.9 mm
Upcoming 11-inch iPad Pro - 249.7mm x 177.5mm x 5.1mm
Current 12.9-inch iPad Pro - 280.6mm x 214.9mm x 6.4mm
Upcoming ~13-inch iPad Pro - 281.5mm x 215.5mm x 5.0mm
iPad Pro 2024 display
Hello OLED - it seems Apple might finally introduce one long-overdue OLED upgrade to the iPad Pro lineup! Finally, the iPad Pro tablets are (almost certainly) getting glorious OLED displays.
The biggest letdown of the iPad Pro 2022 is the fact that the 11" model once again did not receive a Mini LED screen. This left the smaller version underwhelming to say the least and further narrowed the gap between the iPad Pro 11" and the iPad Air (2022).
As Mark Gurman puts it in one of his December 2023 articles, "the OLED screens show a wider range of colors and will give the company’s tablets the same display technology used in the iPhone since 2017". That's jolly good news.
Similar thoughts and predictions were shared by the display industry insider Ross Young in a tweet, who said the iPad Pro in 2024 may feature an OLED panel for the first time. This transition applies to both the 11" and 12.9" models.
Days before Halloween 2023, a wild rumor had it completely 180 degrees, claiming that 2024 iPad Pro models will use LCD displays, not OLED. A source said that Apple is putting the OLED makeover for its most premium tablet line on hold. Instead, Apple will no longer use the mini-LED backlighting for the larger-screened unit and both the 11-inch and 12.9-inch iPad Pro models will use LCD backlighting.
The latest insights we have so far, have it that LG and Samsung are recruited to manufacture the OLED displays for next year's iPad Pro models.
A report has it that Samsung and LG will produce some 8 million OLED panels for the upper-class tablet by Apple earlier than expected, starting in February 2024. The report says that each panel will cost Apple three times as much as the OLED panels used on the iPhone. 60% of the orders have gone to LG Display with the remaining 40% sent to Samsung Display.
However, shortages are expected for the 11-inch iPad Pro 2024. According to reports, Samsung has run into problems producing OLED panels using the "two-stack" technology that deposits in tandem two OLED layers that doubles the brightness of the screen and makes the display last longer. Both Samsung and LG are producing the OLED displays for the 11-inch iPad Pro (2024) while LG should end up responsible for all of the OLED panels found on the 12.9-inch iPad Pro (2024).
The tandem OLED consists of two OLED layers deposited in tandem so that the display's brightness doubles. Not only that, but the dual-stack method also quadruples the screen's lifespan, especially when it comes to those pesky blue diodes that deteriorate much faster than the red and green ones.
Fusing two OLED display layers extends the longevity of the panel significantly and increases its peak brightness, but also brings a drastic 40% drop in power consumption, compared to the 10-15% decrease of LTPO panels. Given that displays are the chief consumer of energy, the dual-stack tech could significantly increase the battery life of the devices equipped with them, too.
Why OLED is good: Organic Light-Emitting Diode (OLED) screens offer superior contrast ratios and, as they don't need a separate backlight layer, they contribute to much thinner displays. OLED technology is already employed in the iPhone, utilizing a single-stack configuration. However, for the larger iPad Pro screens, Apple opted for a two-stack OLED, enhancing brightness and durability, albeit at a higher cost.
The latest rumor is that buyers could (in theory) choose between two different display types when purchasing Apple’s new flagship tablet. In particular, we might see the first iPad Pro with a matte-glass display, with the other option being the glossy screen that we are used to seeing on the Pro iPads. This is unconfirmed, so take it with a grain of salt...
iPad Pro 2024 battery
iPads are champions when it comes to battery life, and the iPad Pro 2024 is unlikely to be an exception. At the moment, however, we have no leaks concerning the battery specifications of the 2024 model.
iPad Pro 2024 features and software
The iPad Pro 2024 will almost certainly be powered by a next-gen M3 chip: Mark Gurman is sure that this will be the case, so that just makes it easier for you to not speculate any further than that. Apple typically brings its new M chipsets firstly to the 13" MacBook Pro/MacBook Air, and then to the iPad Pro. Lastly, the 2024 model will invariably be running the latest version of iPadOS as well.
A keyboard update: On the accessories front, there are some positive news: a new Magic Keyboard is to be expected. The good news is that it will feature a larger trackpad, which is a relief, since the size of the trackpad on the current version of the accessory has been often criticized by users for being too small.
A new Apple pencil: The digital writing instrument is rumored to include a "squeeze" gesture that would be used to add stickers, shapes, signatures, or text to the content on the display of a compatible iPad.
Should I wait for the iPad Pro 2024?
The addition of an OLED display seems very promising, so even if you're in a desperate need to get the iPad Pro right now, it's probably best to wait it out. We're talking mere weeks!
The iPad Pro line refreshing is much needed over at Cupertino, since Apple's iPad business has cooled down sharply in the last two years. Back when the pandemic was roaming, everyone from the guy working at home to the kids taking classes at home needed a tablet to work and unwind.
Consumers in the last two years just could not see the urgency to update their existing tablets, at least not as often as they do with their phones. Not to mention the introduction of foldable devices, which could get you that tablet experience (to an extent), which are reducing demand for the good old tablet. Not everything is so gloom, though: Apple still has a solid 37% market share and the iPad continues to be the top-selling tablet.
That's in contrast to the fact that the iPad revenue dropped 10% to $6.44 billion in the recent period. The Mac and iPad account for 15% of Apple’s revenue combined, and they’ve been particularly hard hit by a decline in consumer tech spending.
Sebastian, a veteran of a tech writer with over 15 years of experience in media and marketing, blends his lifelong fascination with writing and technology to provide valuable insights into the realm of mobile devices. Embracing the evolution from PCs to smartphones, he harbors a special appreciation for the Google Pixel line due to their superior camera capabilities. Known for his engaging storytelling style, sprinkled with rich literary and film references, Sebastian critically explores the impact of technology on society, while also perpetually seeking out the next great tech deal, making him a distinct and relatable voice in the tech world.
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