Now is the worst time to buy an iPad, and it’s all because of what’s expected to launch imminently.
Even though there are some excellent devices available already in the iPad line-up, we are anticipating a whole new range to launch in the next few weeks. Both iPad Air 6 and new M3-packing OLED iPad Pro models are expected, and this has been corroborated by Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, who said: “I’m told these machines are likely to come out around the end of March.”
If these devices slip past March, it still won't be long until new iPads arrive — it's been over a year since Apple put a new iPad out, and it'll certainly want them on shelves before WWDC 2024, where it'll likely show off iPadOS 18, too.
The new iPad Pro line will almost certainly include the M3 chip, which should see a sizable boost over the M2 chip in the current iPad Pro line. In addition to this, the iPad Pro is rumored to get a brand-new OLED screen and new camera placement, which could make room for a better lens and improve landscape-orientation video conferencing. The iPad Air line is also expected to get some upgrades with it potentially receiving both the M2 chip and size ranges going all the way up to 12.9 inches.
And though rumors surrounding it have been scant in the past few months, there's a strong chance that the iPad Mini 7 may make an appearance, being the iPad model that's gone the longest without a refresh.
If you are aiming to buy a new iPad at some point soon, there’s no point splashing cash on aging models when you could wait a month and get a much more powerful machine for a similar amount.
However, there could still be one good reason to buy one right now...
The one exception
The iPad Air 5 and M2 iPad Pro might see sizable reductions as major retailers aim to clear out stock before the new lineup arrives. New stock arriving tends to push the price of older devices down.
In fact, this has already started affecting iPads as you can get a pretty huge 25% off the price of the iPad Air 5 at Amazon right now — a device I bought myself last Black Friday. The iPad 10 is also on sale at Amazon right now for $100 off its retail price. Though you shouldn’t pick up a new iPad at its retail price, taking advantage of the stock shift to get a good deal is a smart idea, especially if you don’t mind potentially missing out on the M3 chip.
Even with this exception though, we'd still suggest holding fire — old stock will linger even after the new models launch, and will see prices drop further still once the new and shiny models hit shelves.
