The ridiculously long wait for iPads has reached 18 months

Earlier this week we got some surprising news out of Cupertino. After weeks of reported delays, Apple announced that it will be holding an event on May 7 with the tagline Let Loose that will presumably feature new iPads. That would make a whopping 559 days since the announcement of the 10th-gen iPad and M2 iPad Pros and even longer since the M1 iPad Air arrived at the Peek Performance event (March 2022).

That’s an extremely long wait for new iPads; the longest ever, in fact. Apple had never gone a full calendar year without launching a new iPad or an update, let alone nearly halfway through the second year. So to say there is tremendous anticipation for the new iPads is an understatement. We’re expecting several new tablets and accessories to appear at the event, including:

• Updated iPad Air with a 10.9-inch screen and an M2 processor
• New 12.9-inch iPad Air with an M2 processor
• Updated 11-inch iPad Pro with an M3 processor and an OLED display
• Updated 12.9-inch iPad Pro with an M3 processor and an OLED display
• A new Apple Pencil with a squeeze gesture
• A new Magic Keyboard

There may—and likely will—be other surprises, but we’re not expecting the iPad mini or entry-level iPad to get an update at the event. 

Based on the invitation and cheeky post from Tim Cook, Apple is going to lean into the iPad’s creative side, with a heavy focus on drawing and painting, the new things the Apple Pencil can do, and the color benefits of the iPad Pro’s new OLED screen. But when the fanfare fades away, the new iPad line could be very similar to the existing one, with higher prices.

It’s possible that Apple delivers a refined design, exciting accessories, and new features that make the updates worth waiting more than 18 months to get. But more likely, they’re just gonna be the same old iPads that we just waited a long time to get.

You can catch up on all of the latest rumors in our iPad Air and iPad Pro roundups ahead of the event.