Apple To Hold ‘Let Loose’ Event on May 7; New iPads Rumoured

Apple has revealed that it will be holding a special event on May 7 at 7 a.m. Pacific Time (10 a.m. Eastern Time), which will be live-streamed on Apple.com and YouTube, like every year. The event invitation comes with the tagline “Let Loose” and shows an artistic render of an Apple Pencil, which suggests that iPads will be the main focus of the event.

The event invitation did not mention an in-person aspect, with Apple inviting the media to watch online alongside the general public. During the event, the company is rumoured to announce new iPad Pro and iPad Air models, alongside updated Apple Pencil and Magic Keyboard accessories.

Also Read: iPhone 16 Pro’s Tech To Reduce Camera Lens Flare And Ghosting

What To Expect From Apple’s Let Loose Event

Apple is expected to unveil two new iPad Pro models with the M3 chip. They are said to have OLED displays, a thinner design and bezels, a matte screen option, a front camera with a landscape orientation, and other design changes. The laptops could also have MagSafe wireless charging. Moreover, the company is also expected to unveil two new iPad Air models with the M2 chipset and a front camera with landscape orientation. It is also said to launch the first-ever 12.9-inch iPad Air with a mini-LED display.

Apple will announce a new Magic Keyboard for the iPad Pro with an aluminum enclosure and, a bigger trackpad, alongside other design upgrades. Besides, a new Apple Pencil with a new “squeeze” gesture for certain features and support visionOS eventually. Apple hasn’t introduced a new iPad since 2022, so this event has been awaited by many. The event will take place just a month ahead of the company’s annual developers conference WWDC, which will kick off from June 10 to June 14.

Also Read: Apple’s Much-Anticipated AI Will Work On-Device Without Internet

Apple Acquires French AI Startup Datakalab

Apple has reportedly taken over a French-based startup called Datakalab. The startup specializes in AI compression and computer vision tech. As per reports, the takeover was finalized in December 2023. Datakalab calls itself “experts in low power, runtime efficiency, and deep learning algorithms” that work on devices. The company’s LinkedIn says that its “industry-leading compression and adaptation to deploy embedded computer vision that is fast, cost-effective, and precise.” 

Datakalab teamed up with the French government in May 2020 to deploy AI tools into Paris transportation systems. This was done to keep track of how many people were wearing face masks. Datakalab has also joined forces with other partners in the past, including Disney.