Although Apple was the tablet leader in China for year 2023, they reportedly lost to Huawei in Q4-23 by a hair (and within a margin of error), according to IDC China.  Huawei bolted into 2024 with a new high-end 13.2-inch OLED tablet in early January which could likely have Huawei overtake Apple in Q1 in China. There was a slight hope that Apple would launch their iPads before the quarter ended so as to keep Huawei at bay, but that's now been dashed by a new Bloomberg report.

Bloomberg News is now reporting that "Apple Inc.’s overseas suppliers have ramped up production of the company’s long-anticipated new iPads and a launch is planned for early May.  

As Bloomberg News has previously reported, the Pro models will get crisper new OLED displays while the iPad Air will get a 12.9-inch screen option for the first time. The move marks an end to the longest stretch without new models in the history of the iPad dating back to 2010.

The iPad Pro models  will run the new M3 chip and work with redesigned versions of the Magic Keyboard and Apple Pencil.

Apple had planned to release the new iPads by the end of March or early April, but the company has been working to finish software for the devices. The screens in the latest models also require complex new manufacturing techniques, which have contributed to the delay. For more, read the full Bloomberg report.

With Apple's iPhone sales in China reportedly falling like a knife for two straight months and failing to counter Huawei's new tablet this quarter, Apple's next quarterly report could very well be a negative one. Then again, the huge crowds attending the new Apple Jing'an store in Shanghai last week could have provided Apple with a badly needed boost in sales.

Did Apple decide to add new AI features so as to Jazz up the iPad Pro's excitement worldwide? One could only hope.