Apple's May 7 iPad event - here's what we expect to be announced

Apple is set to hold an event on May 7, and while it will be streamed rather than an in-person event like the pre-COVID days, don't let that make you think that there won't be any big announcements. Apple is yet to confirm what those announcements will be, but the rumor mill has been in overdrive for weeks now and we have a pretty solid idea of what we can expect CEO Tim Cook and his band of merry executives to announce in its streamed video.

There have been rumors of new iPad announcements for months now, and with Apple having skipped the entire 2023 year in terms of refreshing its tablets, 2024 is set to bring plenty of updated models. The iPad Pro and iPad Air will be the star of the show come Tuesday's event, and there's plenty to get excited about.

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iPad Pro

If everything goes as expected, Apple will announce an update to its high-powered iPad Pro lineup. Both the 11- and 12.9-inch tablets are expected to be updated including new OLED displays for the first time. The same 120Hz ProMotion variable refresh rate is expected, but improved contrast and colors, not to mention a higher brightness ceiling, should make this the best iPad display ever.

On the inside, we originally expected that Apple would bump the current-gen tablet's M2 chip for the more recent M3, but that's now been thrown into doubt. Bloomberg's Mark Gurman believes that Apple may choose to launch the new M4 chip with the iPad, but that's far from confirmed right now.

iPad Air

The mid-range iPad Air is the next tablet that we expect Apple to refresh, updating the 11-inch model and adding a whole new 12.9-inch version to the lineup. Both models are expected to ditch the current M1 chip in favor of the newer M2, but no overall design changes are expected. The 12.9-inch version will likely just be an expanded version of the smaller model.

Accessories

The rumors currently have Apple announcing the Apple Pencil 3 on Tuesday, with leaks having suggested that there will be new squeeze gestures. It isn't yet clear what those gestures will do, but we can imagine they will perform actions similar to a double-tap on the Apple Pencil 2.

Apple is also expected to revamp the Magic Keyboard, making it more sturdy in the process. A metal construction will help here, but more details are yet to leak.

Wildcards

It's possible that Apple may have some other news for us including a global launch for the Apple Vision Pro and new colors and designs for iPhone cases and Apple Watch bands, but the new iPads will undoubtedly be the star of the show this time out.