Apple suppliers up ipad production

California, March 29: Apple Inc.’s overseas suppliers have ramped up production of the company’s long-anticipated new ipads and a launch is planned for early May, according to people with knowledge of the matter.

The release will centre on revamped versions of the ipad Pro and ipad Air, said the people.

The Pro models will get crisper new OLED displays, short for organic light-emitting diode, while the ipad Air will get a 12.9inch screen option for the first time.

The move marks an end to the longest stretch without new models in the history of the ipad. It’s been about 18 months since the last updates - a drought that’s contributed to already-sluggish demand for tablets. Apple is betting that the new models, with faster chips and revamped accessories, can help spur a renaissance for the category.

After a run-up during the pandemic, ipad sales have fallen in each of Apple’s last two fiscal years. They suffered an additional 25 per cent year-over-year decline during the latest holiday period, when devices have typically been popular gifts.

The ipad Pro models, codenamed J717, J718, J720 and J721, will run the new M3 chip and work with redesigned versions of the Magic Keyboard and Apple Pencil. The update represents the first overhaul to that lineup since 2018.

The ipad Air, meanwhile, was last updated in 2022 with the M1 chip. It will get a new processor, and the 12.9-screen size means consumers can get a large ipad for less money than the more upscale Pro.

Apple had planned to release the new ipads by the end of March or early April, but the company has been working to finish software for the devices.

On June 10, Apple plans to kick off its weeklong Worldwide Developers Conference. There, Apple is expected to unveil a renewed artificial intelligence strategy - alongside software upda-tes for the iphone, ipad, Mac, Apple Watch and Vision Pro headset.

THE IPAD PRO models, codenamed J717, J718, J720 and J721, will run the new M3 chip and work with redesigned versions of the Magic Keyboard and Apple Pencil.