Apple Gears Up for Low-Key Spring Product Rollout

While Apple typically holds a spring event to showcase new products, the company may take a different approach in 2024 according to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman. Instead of a dedicated keynote, Apple is rumored to announce several hardware updates in the coming weeks via press releases on its website and supplementary marketing campaigns.

That’s a lot of firsts and a lot of things Apple would normally use a full-blown event to highlight.

But it doesn’t appear that such an event is coming. Apple is instead planning to announce the new products on its website with a series of online videos and marketing campaigns.

The most significant updates expected are redesigned iPad Pro models with M3 chips, OLED displays, and potential design tweaks like a landscape front camera, slimmer bezels, and MagSafe wireless charging support. The iPad Air line is also due for a refresh, with M2 chips and a new larger 12.9-inch size joining the standard 10.9-inch model.

On the Mac side, Gurman reports we’ll see new 13-inch and 15-inch MacBook Air laptops sporting M3 processors, Wi-Fi 6E, and Bluetooth 5.3. While internal upgrades, these would be the first M3 Macs and first Air updates since 2022’s reimagined design.

Apple’s accessories are expected to get some love too, with a redesigned Magic Keyboard for the iPad Pro featuring an aluminum build and larger trackpad. A new Apple Pencil model with rumored changes like interchangeable tips and Find My support is also a possibility.

While all these product launches would typically warrant a classic Apple keynote, the relatively iterative nature of some updates may have led Apple to pursue lower-key announcements instead this spring. The company often skips spring events in certain years as well.

However, that doesn’t mean Apple has nothing major planned for 2024. Its annual Worldwide Developers Conference in June is expected to be a big one, where the company will likely preview its work on generative AI along with major operating system updates headlined by iOS 18 – rumored to be the most significant overhaul ever for the iPhone’s software.

So while spring may bring new iPads, Macs, and accessories announced via press releases, Apple appears to be saving its biggest surprises for WWDC in June. This bifurcated approach allows Apple to roll out incremental hardware upgrades soon while putting the spotlight on groundbreaking software changes at its traditional developer event a few months later.

Whenever and however the new product releases happen, they’ll add fresh options to Apple’s lineup as the company continues its relentless upgrade cycle. Keep an eye on Apple’s Newsroom in the coming weeks for the latest announcements.