Today, Apple made headlines for news that Barclay’s had downgraded the company’s stock due to a number of potential factors, including what the bank’s analysts see as weak demand for iPhone 15.
But it wasn’t the only Apple headline in the news. In fact, the other prominent headline may have contributed to Barclay’s negative assessment of Apple stock: After years of Apple introducing a new version of the iPad each and every year since the product-line launched in January of 2010, last year, 2023, was the first year that the tech giant failed to introduce any iPads, according to MacRumors.
The news wasn’t a surprise for tech journalists, since we’ve known for weeks that there would be no new iPads coming to market, until the new year. Yet we all still had to wait until January 1, 2024 officially started, in order to be certain there would be no new models unveiled.
Was it a mistake for Apple not to introduce at least one new iPad last year?
It's intriguing, though, to see MacRumor's timeline of the iPad introductions each year. For instance, there were three years, early on, Apple introduced just one iPad: 2010, 2011, and 2016. But in 2020, 2021, and 2022, Apple brought four new iPads to market. What is interesting about those last three years (2020 through 2022) is that they also coincide with the pandemic, which may increased demand for tablets.
Because Apple didn't introduce any new iPads this past year, many tech journalists and analysts suggest that 2024 will be an important iPad year for Apple. And from what we know so far, it appears it could work out that way. For example, in 2024, the iPad Pro is expected to come with MagSafe charging capabilities (a feature borrowed from the iPhone 15) and an OLED display, which should allow the tablet to display colors more vibrantly. The new iPad Pro is expected to be powered by Apple's M3 silicon chip, which should allow for a better gaming experience.
Such changes on Apple's high-end iPads will always entice content creators, particularly those who work with images, graphics, sound, video, and animation. In essence, a better-looking display and a more powerful chip mean artists, musicians, videographers, animators, and photographers, to name a few, will have a better user experience.
But we will have to wait a while to see if Apple can go another dozen years where they introduce a new iPad in each of those years!
