Apple’s ‘Let Loose’ event: what happened and how to recap

Apple’s iPad-centric ‘Let Loose’ event has officially come and gone, and there’s plenty to cover, from new iPad models (better, faster, thinner, brighter), to a new Apple Pencil, and even some AI tricks thrown in for good measure. There’s plenty to sink your teeth into, so without further ado…

Here’s what was announced at Apple’s ‘Let Loose’ event:

Watch/recap the Apple Event here

The Let Loose event was streamed online, and you can watch it in its entirety below. Alternatively, you can go to Apple’s site or watch it directly on YouTube. You can also rewatch the event straight from the Apple TV app on any Apple device.

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Apple certainly seems to believe today’s event will bring new impetus to the iPad lineup. During Apple’s latest earnings call on 2 May, CEO Tim Cook suggested that there would be “an exciting product announcement next week and an incredible Worldwide Developers Conference next month.” Apple is expected to announce plenty of AI-infused software at the latter, though there have been some rumors we could get some AI-driven enhancements today.

Perhaps more important is that during the earnings call Apple said it expected double-digit growth in iPad revenue over the next quarter – meaning it expects some huge take-up for the new models.

What to expect from the Let Loose event

An iPad Pro OLED is nailed on

The biggest announcement will likely be two new iPad Pro models. They’ll come with the recent M3 chip, OLED displays with ProMotion, thinner bezels, a matte screen option, and a landscape-oriented front camera (like the 10th-gen iPad). There have been some rumors that Apple will upgrade it to an as-yet unannounced M4 chip, though that seems a little bit of a pipedream. Apple won’t upgrade for the sake of it.

There has been some suggestion that there might be some kind of Apple AI announcement too. This seems like it will be left for Apple’s annual developer conference (WWDC) in early June but it’s possible we might get some kind of iPad Pro-exclusive feature tease to go along with the Apple Pencil reveal I’ve talked more about below.

Surely there will be an iPad Air (6th generation)

I also expect to see two new iPad Air models. They’re set to get the M2 chip (not M3) as well as the same landscape-oriented front camera as the iPad Pro. Some reports suggest it’s getting bigger – with a new 12.9-inch display which will match the screen size on the iPad Pro. Otherwise I’d expect it to be similar in appearance to the current model. It may get Face ID as that feature starts to trickle down the range.

Will there be a new iPad mini?

Rumors suggest it’s unlikely we’ll get an iPad mini refresh, but the last one was in 2021 and it is entirely possible that Apple may choose to debut a 7th genration of the device with a new chip but not a new design. I’m thinking it won’t be now, but it wouldn’t surprise me if it did appear.

‘Squeezable’ Apple Pencil and Magic Keyboard

There will also be new iPad accessories including a brand new Apple Pencil which could add to (or simplify?) an already confusing range of pencils. Rumors suggest it may have a new ‘squeeze’ gesture for certain actions and presumably, this could be user-customisable. It also seems nailed on that it will support visionOS to control the Apple Vision Pro headset.

This new Pencil will be a big deal, since it’s shown in the invite graphic as I mentioned earlier. I’dalso expect a new Magic Keyboard for the iPad Pro with an aluminium enclosure and larger trackpad. The previous Magic Keyboard is costly but doesn’t look enough of a premium product – will it be different this time around?

Wider Vision Pro availability?

There may also be an announcement of the Vision Pro coming to other countries outside of the US – I have been expecting this earlier in 2024 and it seems timely.

We’ll be bringing you all the latest news and views from the launch later today – it’ll be time to let loose!

• Related: Apple Pencil 4 rumours: what’s next for Apple’s smart stylus?