The Core cuts to the heart of the Apple news that matters to you every week. iMore's News Editor Stephen Warwick breaks down all the top stories, along with a helping of deals, tips, insight, and humor.
Just days ahead of the May 7 Let Loose iPad event, hype for the next big thing in Apple’s tablet lineup is at an all-time high. This is mostly in response to the fact that we’ve now gone more than 500 days without a new iPad to speak of. With a new iPad Pro M3 (perhaps M4), replete with an OLED display, and a new iPad Air 6 launch imminent, all eyes turn to whether or not these tablets will be the shot in the arm Apple needs to get out of the slump it seems to have got itself into recently.
Apple’s Q2 earnings call this week painted a picture of Apple’s hardware entering the doldrums. While its 10% iPhone revenue slowdown can be attributed to an inflated Q2 last year, Apple also recorded minimal Mac growth (4%) and drops in both iPad and wearables revenue of 17% and 10% respectively. Apple Vision Pro debuted in January as Apple’s next big thing, but its eye-watering $3,499 price tag has put off all but the most dedicated enthusiasts and early adopters. With Apple’s iPhone 16 still months away, Apple is relying heavily on its May iPad launch and WWDC 2024 to kickstart some customer interest. After all, when was the last time we could say we were truly excited about something Apple was about to launch?
Apple’s new iPads sound pretty intriguing, especially if their launch will also herald the debut of the M4 chip and its powerful AI toolset. Recent bombshell reports ahead of the iPad unveiling that Apple might actually debut a brand new generation of Apple silicon, complete with AI upgrades, rather than adopt the existing M3 model. However, I can’t help but think that the iPad lineup is already so powerful that Apple needs these iPads far more than any of its customers do.
It would take something truly unique in the iPad lineup to make these tablets stand out from their predecessors, and I just can’t help but feel resigned to the fact that we probably won’t see anything like it on Tuesday. Apple Pencil 3 sounds like it could be a promising upgrade, and I’ve already argued elsewhere that Apple should focus on the iPad’s drawing input as its truly unique, differentiating feature. In truth, the biggest boost Apple has to offer its products this year is Apple AI, but new reports indicate that these likely won’t take center stage next week. According to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, “ The extent of the AI announcement next week will be related to the chip - not the features themselves.” That means the M4 chip could play a prominent role in the keynote, but AI, LLM, and generative features less so.
So while the new iPads are sure to be impressive, I’m less convinced they’ll be the big turnaround Apple seems to be searching for this year. More likely, they’ll lay solid foundations for WWDC 2024 and iOS 18, with the main event still the new iPhones in September.
Boot up
How to watch the iPad Apple event "Let Loose" — new iPad Pro OLED, iPad Air 6, and more
No prizes for guessing that our headline this week is the iPad event, coming on May 7. Find out what you can expect and how to watch here!
Launchpad
As iPhone revenue drops 10%, here are 6 things we learned from Apple's Q2 earnings call
Ahead of the Let Loose event, Apple unveiled its Q2 earnings. Find out why iPhone revenue is down, why Apple isn’t worried, and what Tim Cook thinks of the DOJ’s massive lawsuit against Apple.
For your reading list
Apple has realized what the iPad's best feature is after 14 years — and its Let Loose event will make it clear
With a clear teaser of Apple’s new Pencil for iPad in its May 7 announcement, has the company finally realized what the most important and best feature of the iPad is after all this time?
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Fed up of losing your iPhone around your home? This Siri trick will blow your mind
Did you know that you can use Siri to find your iPhone, just by asking where it is? Find out how here!
One more thing
"50,000 people used to work here, now it's a ghost town" — While Apple moves its iPhone production, Foxconn facilities are left abandoned in eerie video
Ever wondered what happens when Apple moves out of the neighborhood? Now you know. Watch a strangely unsettling video detailing an abandoned Foxconn facility that was once a hubbub of iPhone activity.
