Apple‘s 2024 Spring Product Releases — I‘m Confused

Event or no event? Only press releases? And what about the iPads?

A few days ago I released this article on the anticipated Apple March event. Unfortunately, I got the Power On newsletter from Bloomberg‘s Mark Gurman a little later in my inbox — with some unbelievable news.

An Apple spring event is unlikely to happen at all.

To be fair, it is not the most prominent news in Mark‘s newsletter. You have to scroll down and read a small section after a huge article on why Apple dropped their car project. Meanwhile, Apple introduced the M3 MacBook Air models via press release on Monday. If there will be no spring event at all, I have some questions…

What to expect now?

There are still a bunch of products in the line that Apple is planning to introduce according to Mark Gurman. We have now seen the 13.6“ and 15.3“ M3 MacBook Air models, but no revamped iPad Pros including a new version of the Apple Pencil and the Magic Keyboard, yet. In his newsletter, Gurman does not lose a word on the iPad Air models that were rumored to be released in March, too.

Are they still coming? Or is Apple splitting releases to boost iPad Pro sales?

In my previous article, I introduced a counter that ended up with more than nine product releases that were rumored here and there. Some more often than others but it made all sense to have a Mac mini and a regular iPad in the releases as well.

Unfortunately, with the latest news, I think we have to cut expectations down for March. With a press release or a series of press releases, there is no way that we will see all the products announced. Gurman made no clear statement in his newsletter but, reading between the lines, not mentioning the iPad Air lineup has to mean something…

I‘m afraid about the iPad Pro

The rumors about the 2024 iPad Pro models are huge. Reliable sources announced some major changes to the iPad Pro that, from my point of view, are too big to just drop them in a press release.

However, Gurman is one of these sources, and if he says there is no spring event, there will most probably be no spring event. But how in the world will Apple introduce the new iPad Pro models?

Will we get a press release with only slightly improved hardware, and all rumors about the “major updates” are wrong? Or is Apple maybe planning a video event like they did for the MacBook Pro back in October?

As an iPad enthusiast, the iPad Pro is one of the most anticipated product releases this year. And all this uncertainty gets me a little worried… Let’s hope that Mark Gurman is right with his expectation of some press releases and marketing videos for the iPad Pros at the end of March/beginning of April.

But I still can’t wrap my head around when and how the Mac mini and the iPad Airs will be introduced. Anyway, let’s keep this for later.

An explanation for skipping the spring event

The press release for the new M3 MacBook Air models gives a hint, and so does Gurman in his newsletter — AI. It’s no secret (Tim Cook himself talked about it) that Apple is intensively working on AI features to be integrated with iOS 18 later this year. Therefore, Apple will probably bundle capacities and focus attention on WWDC. Samsung did a great job with integrating AI in their OS as introduced with their new S24 models. Apple is under pressure to keep up with the competition — or, in typical Apple fashion, to outdo them.

For the sake of some fantastic new features with iOS 18, we might all be happy to skip a full-blown spring event this year.

Have you also been surprised that Apple skips the spring event this year after all the rumors? And what is your opinion on the new MacBook Air models? Let me know in the comments!

Thank you for reading!

Tobias