What to expect amid the bevy of conflicting iPad rumors

Over the previous few days, there have been many conflicting rumors and studies, some from often dependable sources, about Apple’s plans for the subsequent wave of iPad updates. But on shut examination, the rumors is probably not as contradictory as they appear.

First up was an electronic mail blast from Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman on Sunday. Noting that he had written in July that we might see iPad refreshes earlier than the finish of the yr, he appeared to stroll that again, writing, “a brand new entry-level iPad, iPad Air and iPad mini are all in growth with sooner chips, however I don’t consider updates of any significance are imminent.”

He pointed to his prior reporting that Apple plans a significant iPad Pro replace with an OLED display subsequent yr, however not earlier than 2023’s finish.

Then on Monday, Supercharged printed an article citing “sources aware of Apple’s media plans” stating that Apple plans to launch refreshes to the iPad Air, iPad mini, and iPad this week, presumably as quickly as Tuesday, October 17.

The iPad Air would reportedly get a bump from an M1 chip to the M2, the iPad mini would improve from the A15 to the A16, and the iPad would additionally get a bump—presumably from the A14 to the A16, although the report would not specify about that chip.

There was an early rumor that additionally stated that Apple plans to introduce a brand new show controller to tackle the “jelly scrolling” subject some have complained about on the present mannequin of the iPad mini. Supercharged instructed these can be the solely adjustments to the new iPads and stated that they might be introduced by way of press launch and media briefings reasonably than a keynote occasion. (That would not be a primary; a number of smaller refreshes to Apple merchandise have been introduced that means, equivalent to the M2 Pro and M2 Max MacBook Pro.)

9to5Mac went on to first corroborate Supercharged’s claims however shortly later walked that again and acknowledged that what it was listening to about was a brand new model of the Apple Pencil, pointing to the indisputable fact that Japanese web site Macotakara reported the Pencil 3 is coming as a substitute of an replace to the iPad.

The new Pencil would reportedly include completely different pointer attachments fitted to varied use instances, like one for portray and one other for drawing, for instance.

Gurman and 9to5Mac have been proper about some Apple predictions in the previous, although both they or their sources have generally misunderstood particular particulars or seen timelines change.

Though at first look, it feels like some individuals are saying iPad refreshes are coming this week and a few aren’t, it is not far-fetched to think about that we are going to get refreshes to the iPad Air, iPad mini, and iPad alongside a Pencil refresh.

It appears unlikely Apple would introduce a brand new Pencil individually from a brand new iPad launch. (The first-generation Pencil arrived at the identical time as the first iPad Pro, and the second-generation Pencil was introduced at the identical time as the third-generation iPad Pro.)

The Air and the mini help the second-generation Pencil, so a refresh of each may very well be simply pretty much as good a time to announce a brand new Pencil as an iPad Pro refresh. This would not essentially contradict Gurman’s prediction; he wrote that he would not suppose “updates of any significance are imminent.” Chip refreshes and a brand new Pencil aren’t precisely groundbreaking for many iPad customers.

In any case, the iPad Air and iPad mini have not been up to date in a very long time, they usually’re due for a refresh. Apple has usually launched new merchandise round this time of yr, too, as the preliminary buzz round the new iPhones and Watches slows down.

We’ll have to wait and see, but it surely does appear believable that one thing mildly attention-grabbing will occur in iPad territory in the subsequent few days.