An inside report this week that revealed Apple is planning new iPads and MacBooks for 2023, has also said the company will debut a new Apple Pencil and other accessories early next year.
This week Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman revealed that Apple will release a new OLED iPad Pro and iPad Air 6, alongside a new M3 MacBook Air. Specifically, Apple will add a larger 12.9-inch iPad Air to its lineup, while OLED is expected to be the major update to the iPad Pro range.
Earlier this year Apple released a new budget Apple Pencil, which confused the lineup somewhat. The new “affordable” model features USB-C and costs $79, but lacks some of the features of the Apple Pencil 2. It was not the Apple Pencil 3 release we’ve been anticipating for some time, and Gurman says that this will insteadhappen at the same time as these new iPads, likely in March of next year.
New Apple Pencil 3 expected March 2024
“The company is also preparing revamped versions of the Apple Pencil and Magic Keyboard accessories, which it will sell alongside the new iPad Pro,” Gurman said in a report this week. Details are fairly scant on what could come with the new Apple Pencil, but the company has patents that could hint at several future new features. Those include Find My functionality, vibrating feedback, AirPods Pro-style buttons, and more.
Apple is also cooking up some new Magic Keyboards which will reportedly feature “a sturdier frame with aluminum” to make the package look more like a laptop. It’s another sign Apple sees the iPad, especially its Pro line, as a serious alternative to a portable computer and even some of its best MacBooks.
As Gurman notes, it’s not unusual for Apple to hold a March event where it debuts new iPad and MacBook hardware, so there’s not long to wait for these exciting accessories and Apple’s next-generation tablets if so!
