Apple analyst shares big launch event plans with new iPad Air, iPad Pro OLED and MacBook Air refreshes rumoured

Mark Gurman has delivered new details about Apple's plans for its next hardware refresh. According to the Bloomberg editor, the company is working towards delivering an event in March 2024 and not a press release announcement, as has been the case with some previous spring launches. Reportedly, Apple will use the event to showcase new iPad Air, iPad Pro and MacBook Air hardware, with the latter bringing the fewest changes to its respective platform of the three.

Specifically, Gurman claims that Apple will refresh the MacBook Air 13 and MacBook Air 15 with Apple M3 chipsets. However, he does not expect any Apple M3 Pro SKUs for the larger MacBook Air 15 (curr. $1,699 on Amazon). With hardly any other changes from Apple's current MacBook Air offering, these new laptops should deliver modest CPU and GPU performance gains, examples of which you can find in our Apple M2 and Apple M3 benchmark comparisons.

Additionally, Gurman asserts that Apple has developed new 10.9-inch and 12.9-inch iPad Air models under the model numbers J507, J508, J537 and J538. Likely also running Apple M3 silicon, the pair will be joined by next-generation iPad Pro tablets. Allegedly, Apple will release the iPad Pro with an updated design, the first since 2018, and with an OLED display option.

Gurman adds that Apple will complement these new 'Pro' tablets with a new aluminium Magic Keyboard and a third-generation Apple Pencil, both of which in a renewed effort to close the gap between the iPad Pro and conventional laptops. Separately, new entry-level iPad, iPad mini and the first Apple Watch that can monitor blood pressure levels are expected in 2024 too, although not during Apple's spring 2024 launch event.