Apple announced its “Let Loose” event coming Tuesday, May 7, with little info accompanying the news. However, iPads and creative production are expected to be a main focus.
The Apple logo for the presentation is made up of an artistic rendering featuring an Apple Pencil held by a hand amid splashes of color along with other colorful illustration variations. The Apple Pencil only works with iPad models, and while there are plenty of use cases like handwriting, it seems to be preferred by creative professionals. Digital artists using apps like Procreate can turn the iPad into a virtual canvas. And with Adobe’s Photoshop becoming more powerful on the device, an Apple Pencil can heighten editing possibilities. Similarly, there is a version of Premiere that can be used on iPad, though it doesn’t feel as fully realized as Photoshop and Lightroom, even in their truncated forms.
“During the event, Apple is expected to announce new iPad Pro and iPad Air models, along with updated Apple Pencil and Magic Keyboard accessories,” MacRumors speculates.
The outlet goes on to point out that the last iPad models came in 2022, meaning a refresh wouldn’t be out of the realm of possibility. Specifically, MacRumors expects “two new iPad Pro models with the M3 chip, OLED displays, a thinner enclosure, thinner bezels, a matte screen option, a landscape-oriented front camera, other design changes, and possibly MagSafe wireless charging” along with “two new iPad Air models with the M2 chip and a landscape-oriented front camera, including a first-ever 12.9-inch iPad Air with a mini-LED display.”
Right now, only the latest iPad Pro versions have the M2 chip, while the iPad Air lags a bit behind with the M1. Both are incredibly powerful and get the iPad line a big refresh in terms of functionality, but the M1 grows a bit long in the tooth today having released back in late 2020.
MacRumors also notes that updates to the Apple Pencil and the Magic Keyboard for the iPad Pro as possibilities. Of course, these are only rumors, so take it all with a grain of salt.
Apple will livestream its upcoming event on Apple.com and YouTube at 10 AM ET on Tuesday, May 7. It also appears to be an online-only event, so don’t expect the usual cheers after nearly every sentence that tend to punctuate the tech company’s big showcases.
Image credits: Apple