Upcoming OLED iPad Pro May Skip M3 in Favor of an M4 Chip

The countdown to the release of new iPads at Apple’s upcoming “Let Loose” event has begun. It’s poised to be one of the most highly anticipated Apple events in quite some time, partly because Cupertino hasn’t taken wraps off new iPads in a considerable while.

Adding to the excitement, a new report from Bloomberg‘s Mark Gurman suggests that the upcoming iPad Pro will skip the M3 chip in favor of Apple’s yet-to-be-released M4. If this turns out true, the wait for new iPads will be worth it.

“I’m hearing there is a strong possibility that the chip in the new iPad Pro will be the M4, not the M3,” writes Gurman in his latest edition of Power On newsletter. 

He adds that the new iPads might become Apple’s first device powered by artificial intelligence (AI), but in all fairness, Apple has been teasing AI with the launch of the MacBook Air M3, which the company says is “perfect for AI.”

If an iPad Pro with the M4 chip is released, it would be the first tablet to have this new chip generation. Currently, Apple’s tablets like the iPad Air are usually a generation or two behind in terms of chip technology, as they still use the M1 chip.

Switching to M4 would mean that the iPad Pro will completely skip M3. Alternatively, Apple might consider packing the M3 in the relatively lower-end 11-inch model, but that’s uncertain for now. 

Whatever it turns out, all these will be clarified on May 7 during the “Let Loose” event when Apple finally reveals the device, along with an update to iPad Air. Reports suggest that the iPad Air will feature an M2 chip and offer two screen size options, 10.9- and 12.9-inch. In addition, we may see a new Apple Pencil with a new squeeze gesture and a new Magic Keyboard.

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