By Mark Gurman
It’s been more than 18 months since Apple Inc. last updated its iPad line, marking the longest gap in new models since Steve Jobs first unveiled the product in 2010. The drought finally ends on May 7.
That’s the day Chief Executive Officer Tim Cook is poised to introduce major upgrades to the iPad Pro and iPad Air, as well as new versions of the tablet’s accessories. The company is delivering the news through an online event dubbed “Let Loose” that’s expected to last a little more than half an hour.
In a shift, Apple is making the presentation at 7 a.m. Pacific time, three hours earlier than usual. That will mean the Tuesday event is squarely within business hours for Apple’s European fans, and — perhaps more importantly — something people in Asia can watch before going to bed. Boosting sales in China is a major focus for the company right now.
It’s also a critical moment for the iPad business. Following a pandemic-era sales surge, demand has declined in the past two years. The iPad’s sales were particularly weak last quarter, when they plunged 17% and missed analysts’ estimates. Apple predicted that iPad revenue will rebound in the current period, and it’s counting on the new models to help win back consumers.
Unlike with Apple’s bigger product launches — the Worldwide Developers Conference in June and its iPhone reveal in September — there won’t be a major in-person gathering at the company’s headquarters in Cupertino, California. Instead, Apple is holding smaller hands-on sessions in New York and London, where members of the media will be able to watch the video announcement and try out the devices.
Here are the new products to expect at the event — and what probably won’t come until later:
The New iPads:
- The star of the event will be a new iPad Pro with an updated design and crisper screen. It will be the first iPad to get an OLED display — organic light-emitting diode — the technology used in the…
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