iPad Pro set for its biggest upgrade in years, claims Mark Gurman

In a tablet market that is going through a decline, Apple is looking to gain back ground with its upcoming M3-powered iPad Pro.

A new iPad Pro, powered by Apple’s M3 SoC, could arrive in 2024, as per Mark Gurman. (Unsplash)

Since the emergence of foldables smartphones, tablets have received major competition. The likes of Galaxy Z Fold 5, Oppo Find N and Google Pixel Fold aim to combine the functionality of a tablet and a smartphone in one package, which has proven successful so far as the foldables segment now has plenty of options to choose from. The tablet market going through somewhat of a slump with a 29.9 percent decline in shipments, as per an IDC report. 

While Apple still remains the leader in this market with a 37 percent share, it also is struggling with a 17 percent decline in unit shipments, as per the report. However, Apple is looking to gain ground back in the segment with its upcoming iPad Pro. Check details about the upcoming iPad Pro below.

iPad Pro: Major upgrades

iPad Pro has remained largely unchanged since 2018 despite subtle upgrades in terms of processor, display and camera, but it could now be set for a big change, as per Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. In his latest Power On newsletter, Gurman claimed that Apple is planning to give the iPad Pro a major overhaul, and it could be one of the biggest iPad upgrades in over a decade.

As per the report, Apple is planning to introduce its next Apple Silicon chipset, M3 to the iPad Pro. The iPad Pros, codenamed J717, J718, J720 and J721, would feature OLED displays for the first time and are likely to arrive in 2024. This claim corroborates a previous report by Omdia which hinted at the same.

Gurman also revealed that the next iPad Pro would come in two sizes - 11 inches and 13 inches, which would be a minor upgrade to the 12.9-inch iPad Pro that Apple currently sells for a staggering $1099.

Along with the iPad Pro, Apple could also revamp one of its most popular accessories - the magic keyboard. As per the report, it would add a larger trackpad, and provide a more laptop-like feel than the current setup. In terms of release date, Gurman claims that the M3-powered iPad Pro won't likely debut until Spring or Summer 2024, and a 2023 release is out of the question.

It should be noted that all the information is based on unofficial reports and should be taken with a pinch of salt until there is official confirmation from Apple, which is not likely to arrive anytime soon.