Apple iPad Release Delayed; Magic Keyboard Development Underway

Apple has not made significant updates to its iPad lineup for a while, but it came close to unveiling its largest iPad ever this year. The company, based in Cupertino, has been focused on developing larger iPads since 2021. Mark Gurman of Bloomberg initially mentioned this in his newsletter in July 2021, suggesting that Apple’s forthcoming larger iPads could potentially bridge the gap between tablets and laptops. According to reports, Apple was in the process of creating its largest iPad to date and nearly released it this year.

Here’s why it didn’t work

In his latest Power On newsletter, Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman claimed that a new 14-inch iPad was in the works and Apple almost announced it this year, according to a MacRumors report. Had it been released, this new iPad would have been the largest iPad ever, surpassing the 12.9-inch iPad Pro by over 1 inch. However, that is no longer the case, and Apple is unlikely to introduce it this year. According to Gurman, this is perhaps due to the transition to OLED screens.

In June 2022, leaker Majin Bu on X revealed that Apple was working on a new 14.1-inch iPad Pro powered by the M2 and featuring 512GB of storage and 16GB of RAM. This claim was also supported by analyst Ross Young of Display Supply Chain Consultants (DSCC), who said that there was indeed a similar iPad Pro in development, which would not include ProMotion but a MiniLED screen, and an early 2023 release was hinted at.

While we haven’t seen Apple launch a similar iPad so far this year, these previous claims could point to the same iPad that Apple almost released.

New Magic Keyboard in the works

Although the reported 14-inch iPad is unlikely to arrive this year, Apple is working on a new magic keyboard for its tablets. Gurman previously said the new Magic Keyboard would feature a larger trackpad and be more laptop-like than the current setup. Now, Gurman has further revealed that the top case of the Magic Keyboard would be made of aluminum, a material that is also used to make many MacBooks.

This would give the Magic Keyboard a more premium look and help create a cohesive design that goes hand-in-hand with Apple’s MacBooks. The new aluminum would also increase its sturdiness as the current generation magic keyboard has been bent. It would also continue to feature a single USB Type-C port, a technology that Apple’s iPhone 15 series is also slated to adopt this year when it launches at the Wonderlust event on September 12.

While the price hasn’t been disclosed, Gurman expects Apple to at least match, if not increase the Magic Keyboard’s massive $300 starting price.