After another week without new iPads, we’ve figured out when they’ll actually launch

Macworld

Earlier this month Apple released the new M3 MacBook Air with a surprise press release on Monday, March 4. That was notable for a couple of reasons: One, we expected Apple to hold a spring event this year, and two, they weren’t accompanied by new iPads.

With no event, we thought new iPads would launch the next day or the following week, but more than two weeks later, that hasn’t happened. Then there was a rumor earlier this week that Apple would unveil the new iPads on Tuesday, March 26, but this week has come and gone without an announcement, so it appears new iPads will officially be launching in April now.

But when exactly will the new iPads arrive? Let’s look at what we know.

Several reports have claimed that the new iPads won’t ship until April. Mark Gurman of Bloomberg reports that a new version of iOS 17.4 for the new iPads “won’t be complete until the end of March or even sometime in April,” a process that “could last a couple weeks, probably taking us deeper into next month.” 

Separately, Ross Young of Display Supply Chain Consultants says that while the new OLED panels for the iPad Pro began shipping in February, production and price issues caused some delays, particularly with the 11-inch model.

If Apple announces iPads next week, they would most likely go on sale Friday, March 29, which is probably too early to have stock in stores based on those reports. Plus, it’s the week leading into the Easter holiday, which is generally a quiet one for announcements. For example, in 2020, Easter was on Sunday, April 12, and Apple opted to announce the new iPhone SE the following week.

Here’s a list of Apple’s announcements via press release since 2019:

M3 MacBook Air: Monday, March 4, 2024

M2 Pro/Max MacBook Pro: Tuesday, January 17, 2023

2nd-gen HomePod: Wednesday, January 18, 2023

10th-gen iPad/6th-gen iPad Pro: Tuesday, October 18, 2022

2nd-gen iPhone SE: Wednesday, April 15, 2020

4th-gen iPad Pro: Wednesday, March 18, 2020

5th-gen iPad mini: Monday, March 18, 2019

3rd-gen iPad Air: Monday, March 18, 2019

iMac (Intel 9th-generation): Tuesday, March 19, 2019

Apple has announced iPads on Mondays and Tuesdays and once on Wednesday due to Covid shakeups. However, major announcements (10th-gen iPad, M2 MacBook Pro) generally happen on a Tuesday, while Mondays are relegated to smaller updates, like the recent M3 MacBook Air.

So what does it all mean? Put all of the clues together and our best guess for an iPad release is either Tuesday, April 2 or April 9. We’re leaning toward April 9, which gives Apple plenty of time to gather stock, finish the new build of iPadOS 17.4, celebrate the Easter holiday, and generate a bit more buzz. So plan accordingly.

While you wait, check out our iPad Air and iPad Pro rumor roundups so you know what to expect from the releases when they arrive.

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