In today’s Power On newsletter, Gurman said the company could use the May event to explain its “distraction-free AI chip strategy,” allowing it to focus on how the iPad Pro and other M4 devices will take advantage of the company’s AI offerings in iPadOS 18. These may include Apple-developed features on the device and deeply integrated chatbots from one or more third-party companies, such as Google or OpenAI.
Of course, both of the next Pro models are also expected to get a big OLED update and some new accessories. Gurman writes that one of these accessories — the next Apple Pencil — will be touch-responsive. What would be the point of haptic feedback? It doesn’t say, but just based on this idea, I’ve seen some interesting applications, such as adding something like a simulated texture feature when drawing with a pencil. (Imagine drawing in Photoshop and “feeling” the roughness of the paper!)
However, I can’t imagine that constantly using the small motor would be great for the Pencil’s battery life. Perhaps this is where the rumors about Apple Pencil support for Vision Pro come from. Who knows exactly what Apple is planning in this regard, if that’s true, but touch would make sense because it would help you feel a little more connected to what you’re doing in the virtual space. That’s on top of rumors of a new squeeze gesture and magnetic tips that allow users to quickly swap them out for different styles and purposes.
But back to the iPad Pro, Gurman calls it the most significant redesign of the iPad Pro since 2018, but most people may not see what that means. In his report today, he only mentioned the OLED screen as the second noteworthy part of the new tablet.
But Apple making the tablet the tip of its AI spear could help answer the question of who the next iPad Pro is intended for, because – I bet – the Venn diagram of those interested in AI and those looking to buy an overpowered tablet probably has a decent amount of overlap. However, I don’t expect most people to opt for the iPad Pro for its AI features, while the larger iPad Air is (probably) a close second, although (most likely) much cheaper. But hey, maybe that will change when Apple finally tells the story of its AI features on the device, or at least when the reality of those features becomes clear when iPadOS 18 arrives this fall.
Credit : www.theverge.com