Apple event: What to expect from May 2024 Let Loose launch, and how to watch
Apple is holding a new product launch event on 7 May which is widely anticipated to be focused on new iPads and iPad accessories.
Called Let Loose, the digital-only event is Apple’s first hardware event of the year.
Though no official announcements have been made in advance as to what products will be unveiled, the event’s invite graphic – showing a hand holding an Apple Pencil drawing a splash of colours in the shape of the company logo – and the fact that the last iPad was released back in October 2022 have led to speculation that new models of each could be imminent.
When is the Apple launch event?
Let Loose event is taking place on Tuesday 7 May. It is set to begin at 3pm UK time (7am Pacific Time), with a prerecorded video being streamed on Apple’s YouTube channel, apple.com and the Apple TV app across all devices that carry it. The event is expected to last around 35 minutes, and a recording is likely to be made available later in the day.
How can I watch the Apple event live?
It will be livestreamed on the tech giant’s YouTube channel, website and the Apple TV app on devices including iPhones, iPads, Macs and compatible smart TVs.
It also comes in the form of a pre-recorded video, rather than an on-stage event like we’ve seen for Apple product launches in the past.
Don’t worry if you can’t catch it live – a recording should be made available online on Apple’s platforms like its YouTube channel later in the day.
What should we expect from Let Loose?
Let Loose is widely expected to act as a launch event for new models of the iPad Pro and iPad Air, as well as iPad accessories including the Apple Pencil.
A big hint for what is set to be included lies in the graphic used to advertise the event on Apple’s website and elsewhere, which depicts an Apple Pencil drawing a splash of colours in the shape of the Apple logo.
(Photo: Apple)
The stylus is a key accessory to Apple’s tablets, with a third generation Apple Pencil rumoured to feature upgrades like a “squeeze gesture” for carrying out certain actions, as well as haptic feedback – a small vibration-like effect that accompanies certain actions with the stylus – and possibly support for the Find My app.
Another iPad accessory that could be getting an overhaul is the Magic Keyboard, with suggestions from in-the-know Bloomberg reporter Mark Gurman that redesigns could be focused on improvements like a sturdier case with added aluminum, as well as larger trackpad surfaces, altogether making the iPad look “more laptop-like”.
According to Gurman and various other reports, however, the star of Let Loose will be a new iPad Pro.
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Key among the upgrades to Apple’s flagship tablet model could be a switch from Liquid Crystal Display (LCD) and mini-LED panels to organic light-emitting diode (OLED) displays, which have been used in iPhones since 2017 but have been slower to find their way into the iPad design.
Two changes that would be enabled by this switch to OLEDs are an improved image quality and thinner devices, while the new iPad Pro – set to be available in 11-inch and 12.9-inch screen sizes – could also boast Apple’s first M4 processing chips that could help power artificial intelligence (AI) tasks.
The iPad Air is also expected to be refreshed, with the big change rumoured to be the addition of a new 12.9-inch version (alongside the existing 10.9-inch tablet) to match the size of the iPad Pro for a lower cost.
The new Airs should also be updated internally, likely swapping an M1 processing chip for the M2 that was first launched in the Macbook Air in 2022.
After this, Apple’s next scheduled event is currently its 2024 Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC), which begins on 10 June and could see the company expand on its AI plans and capabilities as well as introducing new features and updates for its operating systems.