Apple just invited the world to a May 7 product-launch event with the theme “Let Loose.” As an Apple Pencil is prominently included in the invitation’s image, there’s no doubt that two much-rumored new iPad models are on the agenda.
What is surprising is that there’ll be an event to announce the products, not simply a press release.
What to expect at the Apple May 7 iPad event
Tuesday’s official invitation doesn’t use the word “iPad,” but there’s an Apple Pencil front and center of the invite, which doesn’t even qualify as a hint. As Apple tablets are the only devices that support this stylus, putting one in the invite is a clear statement of intent.
And we don’t have to guess what models are on the docket. Many leaks point to a 2024 iPad Pro that will be the first with an OLED (short for organic light-emitting diode) display. In this type of screen, each pixel glows on its own, leading to a bright, even image with strong contrast. Supposedly these will go into both the 13-inch version and the 11-inch one.
OLED screen panels don’t need backlights, so they’re thinner than traditional LEDs. This will reporedly allowed the designers of the upcoming iPad Pro to make the tablet significantly slimmer.
Also supposedly coming soon is the first 12.9-inch iPad Air. The previous largest version of the midlevel tablet includes a 10.9-inch display. A recent leak indicated this will be a mini-LED screen, not a traditional one.
Both tablets are expected to use an Apple M3 processor.
New Apple Pencil and Magic Keyboard, too
The stylus prominently in the invite has a second meaning, too — this one even more obvious. Multiple leaks indicate that a replacement for Apple Pencil 2 is imminent along with the new iPad models.
And Apple CEO Tim Cook threw in his own very broad hint in a post on X (formerly Twitter) by telling his followers to “Pencil us in for May 7! ✏️”
Pencil us in for May 7! ✏️ #AppleEvent pic.twitter.com/1tvyB7h450
— Tim Cook (@tim_cook) April 23, 2024
A recent leak indicates Apple has been testing a stylus that works with the Vision Pro headset. Perhaps the third-generation Apple Pencil set to be unveiled at the May 7 event will offer visionOS support, and not be limited to working with iPad.
In addition, a redesigned Magic Keyboard for iPad has also been the subject of leaks. It supposedly will come with a larger trackpad and an aluminum top case that makes it look more like a MacBook. We might see it in early May, too.
How to watch Apple’s May 7 iPad event
Apple scheduled the May 7 iPad event for 7 a.m. Pacific (10 a.m. Eastern). That’s hours earlier than usual — such events typically start at 10 a.m. Pacific.
It will stream at apple.com or via the Apple TV app.
With this event, Apple will give the 2024 iPad Pro and iPad Air a strong launch. That’s in contrast to the M3-powered MacBook Air models that it quietly introduced in March via press release.
