Apple (AAPL) will announce new iPads in April

Photographer: Jean Chung / Bloomberg

Apple Inc. plans to announce new iPads as early as April, to complement a product line that knowledgeable people perform particularly well when people work and study from home.

The company plans to refresh its iPad Pro line by adding a better processor and improved cameras, people said. The new models resemble the current iPad Pros and have the same 11-inch and 12.9-inch screen sizes.

The devices will get an updated processor that is comparable to the faster M1 chip in the latest MacBook Air, MacBook Pro and Mac mini. Apple designs these processors itself and usually lets them make by Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. Apple is also looking for a Mini LED display with at least the larger model, which would be brighter and have improved contrast ratios.

In testing, the new iPad Pros used a Thunderbolt connector, the same port on the latest Macs with custom Apple processors. The port doesn’t need new chargers, but it would allow connectivity with additional external monitors, hard drives, and other peripherals. It is also faster at syncing data than the USB-C technology used in current models.

An Apple spokeswoman declined to comment. The company has yet to announce its first product launch event of the year, so its plans may change.

The iPad generated $ 8.4 billion in revenue for Apple during the most important holiday quarter of 2020, the highest number since 2014. Sales increased at the request of people working and studying at home during the pandemic. With employees and students returning to offices and schools in the coming months, Apple is betting on the new iPad models to maintain interest in the tablet line.

IPad WFH Pop

The iPad Pro was last updated in March 2020 at the start of the pandemic, adding a tweaked processor, support for the Magic Keyboard with Trackpad case and a lidar scanner next to the camera.

Apple plans to refresh its cheapest iPad later this year, targeting students with a thinner and lighter design, Bloomberg News reports. It is also preparing to launch a new iPad mini with a larger screen as early as this year, up from the 7.9-inch screen used since the first model. The iPad mini was last upgraded in 2019 with support for the Apple Pencil stylus and a faster processor.

Apple has several other product updates planned for this year. The company is working on new iPhones and Apple Watches, an accessory for tracking the location of physical objects, and major updates to the MacBook Pro laptop and iMac desktop.