Apple "insider" reveals list of upcoming devices including the second-gen Watch Ultra
Shortly after Apple released the Apple Watch Ultra last September, a question mark hovered above the timing of a second-gen version of the premium timepiece. Would Apple immediately release a new Ultra model in 2023 or would it hold off until 2024 or even 2025? According to Bloomberg scribe Mark Gurman, we will see the second-generation Apple Watch Ultra unveiled and released later this year, presumably in September.
Gurman writes in his weekly "Power On" newsletter that the second-generation Apple Watch Ultra will be one of three new timepieces to greet the light of day this September. He even has the codename for the device, N210. The other two watches will be Apple Watch Series 9 models (N207, N208) and the trio will share the stage with the iPhone 15 series.
Earlier this year, analyst Jeff Pu said that the second-gen Watch Ultra will replace the 1.92-inch LTPO AMOLED display on the current version with a 2.1-inch micro-LED display. And Pu also called for the Apple Watch Ultra sequel to make its appearance during the third quarter of this year.
The next 12.9-inch iPad Pro is expected next year and could feature an OLED display
Gurman's newsletter mentions other devices that Apple is working on for the second half of 2023 and the first half of next year. That list includes a new iPad Pro series with both models sporting OLED displays. This dovetails with an earlier tip posted back in April by ShrimpApplePro who said at the time that Apple had four prototypes of the OLED-screened iPad Pro tablets in two screen sizes (11 inches and 12.9 inches) with a 2024 release date in mind. Samsung is expected to supply Apple with OLED panels for the new iPad Pro models.
Another report from earlier this year says that the additional cost to obtain the OLED panels could force Apple to raise the starting prices of the iPad Pro units to as high as $1,500 and $1,800 for the 11-inch and 13-inch models respectively. Current pricing has the 11-inch iPad Pro at $799 and up while the 12.9-inch version is $1,099 and up. Personally, I would imagine that Apple would eat some of any price increase for the new displays before giving potential buyers "sticker shock."
The 11-inch iPad Pro uses an LCD screen currently while the 12.9-inch variant features a mini-LED display. Gurman says the codenames for the two iPad Pro models are J717 and J720. And speaking of iPads, Gurman says that a new iPad Air, with the codename J507, will replace the current M1-powered version of the tablet.
Gurman adds that the next iteration of the AirPods true wireless Bluetooth earbuds is in early development but probably won't be released until 2025. Still, there are plenty of new Apple devices on the way so you might want to start looking under the couch now for spare change.
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