Only one tablet has survived the rise and fall of the tablet craze — mostly unscathed, that is— and that’s the Apple iPad. First launched in 2010, the original iPad mostly served as a larger iPhone, but without calling capabilities. And with no front-facing camera, you couldn’t even place video calls. Fast forward almost a decade and Apple’s tablet lineup are bonafide laptop replacements for some. Apple has adapted the iPad in form, function, and overall cost in such a way that it’s become the no-brainer tablet purchase.
Apple is also reportedly planning an ‘eventual’ OLED upgrade for the iPad Air.
Prices for new subscribers to Apple’s service plan will go up by 50 cents for monthly payments and by $5 on annual plans.
Major League Baseball is cracking down on league-issued iPads provided to teams since 2016. Teams can no longer install custom apps that tap into generative AI to recommend “substitutions, pitch calling, and other in-game decisions traditionally made by players and coaches.” It seems up to “a third of the league used the dugout iPads for at least one of these purposes.”
That’s according to this Trendforce report, which says Apple is planning to adopt OLED panels across its future MacBook Pro, iPad Pro, and iMac products that are capable of achieving 95 percent coverage of the BT.2020 color gamut. BT.2020 covers more of the visible color spectrum compared to DCI-P3 standard Apple currently uses.
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An on-the-record chat about Apple Intelligence.
AI Siri, take two? Definitely everything coming to iOS 27, macOS 27, and more.
At Bloomberg, Mark Gurman has more AI-related rumors ahead of WWDC, saying that, along with a reworked version of Siri, Apple plans to build Grammarly-like grammar checking and suggestions into the next iPhone and iPad updates (hopefully, without using our AI slopplegangers for an “expert review”).
Other changes include a Shortcuts upgrade that builds automations based on whatever requests you describe, and an AI wallpaper generator similar to what Samsung and Google already offer.
It was reported last week that Intel and Apple struck a deal for unknown chips. Now supply chain analyst Ming-Chi Kuo reports Intel is manufacturing “low-end/legacy” chips for iPhones, iPads, and Macs, the majority for the phones. The scale is small though, with TSMC set to retain 90 percent of Apple’s chip supply.
When Instagram’s iPad app launched last year, it would open up to a feed of Reels instead of the usual mix of posts you might be familiar with from the iOS app. Now, though, the iPad app has a more familiar home feed that works like the one in the iOS app, as reported by 9to5Mac.
It was inevitable, but Belkin will be the first company with a case turning your tablet into Toy Story 5’s new Lily Pad character. The $49.99 case is made from EVA foam and features both a built-in carrying handle and a folding kickstand. Hopefully it doesn’t come preset to villain mode.
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Apple has supposedly been working on a folding tablet since at least 2023. The rumored release has slipped from 2024, to 2026, to 2028, to 2029, and now, according to Mark Gurman, it might not happen at all. While it was a priority for incoming CEO John Ternus, its future is now in doubt:
Foldable iPad: Apple has been working on a roughly 20-inch foldable iPad. This device has been a Ternus priority but may end up being a wacky experiment that doesn’t see the light of day, according to several people who have worked on it.
Apple added an OLED display to the iPad Pro in 2024, and Apple Insider points out this ET News report suggesting the Air could be next, in the first half of 2027. A rumor last year from Bloomberg, however, suggested it would come after an OLED iPad Mini upgrade in 2026.
[Apple Insider]
After adding support for the iPhone 17 and its square sensor selfie camera last November, Adobe has updated its Project Indigo camera app to support the iPhone 17e and iPads with at least 6GB of RAM. But Adobe warns that “Project Indigo is not yet tuned for iPad operation” and suggests sticking with an iPhone for an “optimal experience.”
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If your iPad is still in good shape, you don’t need this one. Or any other new one. But if it’s upgrade time, start here.
MacBook will get more touch-friendly before 2026 is out, and there’s supposedly a foldable 18-inch iPad in the works, but Apple has no intention of merging the two product lines anytime soon. Execs have remained steadfast in their dedication to keeping the two things separate. According to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman:
The company argues that it produces better devices by separating the categories, but there’s also a business consideration. Internally, executives believe that a hybrid plan would hurt sales. Apple generates roughly $30 billion annually from each category, adding up to $61.7 billion last year. That’s a hugely material slice of its overall business.
Rumors of an Apple product launch event next week look confirmed, now that Tim Cook is posting about a “big week ahead,” with a short video clip of someone swiping around Apple’s logo. So, new MacBook Pros, probably some new iPads, and maybe the rumored iPhone 17e?
We’ll find out soon.
After a string of exec departures from Apple, Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman reported a few days ago that Srouji, who oversees the chips that have helped iPhones, Macs, and other devices lead their categories, had discussed leaving for another company.
Today, Gurman reports the exec sought to calm employees, sending a message to his division that said “I love my team, and I love my job at Apple, and I don’t plan on leaving anytime soon.”
Apple seems to finally know what its largest and most impressive tablet really is. Time to build it.
It makes perfect sense when you think about it: The company already added vapor cooling to the iPhone 17 Pro. And as the iPad Pro chips get more powerful and the OS more capable, cooling is going to be a major issue. Bloomberg’s Mark Gruman says it should be coming with the new M6 chips in the spring of 2027.
