Apple’s ‘Let Loose’ event

This week on Cult of Mac’s podcast: Apple’s “Let Loose” event is over, and the new iPad Pro and iPad Air are officially here. In our postmortem, we discuss the pros (tons) and cons (not many) of the new tablets. Plus, we go over what we got right and wrong in the run-up to the event.

Also on The CultCast:

• Apple Pencil Pro and the new Magic Keyboard for iPad sound great for artists.
• Logic Pro and Final Cut Pro gain some cool new features.
• The first M4 chip benchmarks look promising.
• That eye-catching “Crush!” ad for the iPad Pro lands Apple in hot water.
• And we have a winner in our “Let Loose” event predictions challenge.

Listen to this week’s episode of The CultCast in the Podcasts app or your favorite podcast app. (Be sure to subscribe and leave us a review if you like it!) Or watch the video live stream, embedded below.

Apple’s “Crush!” video advertising the new iPad Pro is rubbing a lot of people the wrong way with its graphic destruction of creative tools.

The video first aired during Apple’s “Let Loose” event Tuesday. And when CEO Tim Cook included the video in a post about iPad Pro on X, hundreds of people replied with irritation. You can see some of the strongest reactions, and the video itself, below.

Updates on Thursday: Later on Wednesday Hollywood names piled on with more criticism of the “Crush!” video. Actor Hugh Grant, for example, referred to it as, “the destruction of the human experience, courtesy of Silicon Valley.”

And filmmaker Rizo Sixo Safai made more of a splash when he told Apple he “fixed” the video by running it in reverse with some tweaks, resurrecting the creative tools. See that version below.

It also came to light that Apple’s “Crush!” ad closely resembles an LG Renoir phone ad from 2008, as pointed out in yet another X post (also below) and elsewhere. Some call Apple’s ad a rip-off.

And on Thursday, Apple issued an apology for the ad in a statement to Ad Age, saying the ad “missed the mark.”

“Creativity is in our DNA at Apple, and it’s incredibly important to us to design products that empower creatives all over the world,” Apple marketing VP Tor Myhren said. “Our goal is to always celebrate the myriad of ways users express themselves and bring their ideas to life through iPad. We missed the mark with this video, and we’re sorry.”

Today’s “Let Loose” Apple event overhauled the iPad lineup. Apple unleashed a new iPad Pro and iPad Air, the refreshed Apple Pencil Pro, a sleek new Magic Keyboard, and lowered the price of the regular iPad. The iPad mini was acknowledged, too.

If you don’t have time to sit through the 38-minute presentation, here it is in just 90 seconds.

When Apple unveiled the Apple Pencil Pro during Tuesday’s “Let Loose” event, the company seemingly bid adieu to the second-generation Apple Pencil. An Apple tool reveals that unspecified Apple Pencil 2 compatibility issues mean the older stylus won’t work with 2024 iPad Pro and iPad Air models.

So, if you’re an artist buying a new iPad, or someone who takes lots of handwritten notes, you probably need to budget an extra $129 for a new Apple Pencil Pro.

Those who want the most powerful 2024 iPad Pro available need to choose one with at least 1TB of storage. Going with lots of capacity brings a faster version of the new M4 processor and twice as much RAM.

The high-storage versions also have the option of a nano-texture display glass.

Getting all these adds considerably to the price tag, though.

Apple introduced a new third-generation “pro” Apple Pencil at its “Let Loose” iPad event Tuesday alongside new iPad Pro and iPad Air models. The first Apple Pencil Pro brings a new “squeeze” gesture, an internal gyroscope, haptic feedback and Find My support, making it the most capable iPad stylus yet.

Available to order today for $129 — the same price as the second-generation Apple Pencil — the Apple Pencil Pro gains features normally found on styluses for dedicated drawing tablets, like a new “squeeze” gesture and a “Barrel Roll” gyroscope for precise tool controls.

“The new features in Apple Pencil Pro are simply revolutionary,” said John Ternus, Apple’s senior vice president of hardware engineering, in the introductory “Let Loose” video. “And we’re also excited that Apple Pencil Pro works with the new iPad Air as well, giving air users yet another pro feature to push their creativity.”

Final Cut Pro has been updated with live multi-camera recording on iPad and powerful new AI color correction on Mac. A free new app for iPad and iPhone, Final Cut Camera, allows for professional video capture in multicam or on its own.

These “amazing updates” will “take creativity to the next level,” said Will Hui, project manager for creative apps at Apple, during its “Let Loose” event today.

Updates to Final Cut Pro for iPad and Mac — and the new Final Cut Camera app — will be available later this spring.

Apple just took the wraps off the 2024 iPad Pro, the first with an OLED screen rather than a traditional LCD. If that wasn’t enough, a brand-new Apple M4 processor powers the tablet, which Cupertino says is the “thinnest Apple product ever.”

“We’ve always envisioned iPad as a magical sheet of glass,” said John Ternus, Apple’s senior vice president of hardware engineering, during Tuesday’s prerecorded “Let Loose” event. “And with this new design, that vision is brought to life more than ever.”

Upgraded versions of Logic Pro for iPad and Mac will give musicians and music producers new tools for crafting killer tracks.

New features in Apple’s pro audio software — Logic Pro for iPad 2 and Logic Pro for Mac 11 — include:

• Session Players, which puts virtual musicians in the mix.
• Stem Splitter, which producers extract drums, bass, vocals and other instruments from audio files.
• ChromaGlow, a processing tool designed to bring analog “warmth” to digital tracks.

“Logic Pro for iPad turns things up for music producers,” said Will Hui, Apple’s product manager for creative apps, in a prerecorded video Tuesday. “Designed for everyone from emerging to established artists, Logic Pro for iPad has delivered the entire studio experience with the simplicity of touch. Logic Pro 2 is so exciting — and it’s smarter than ever.”

Just seven months after the M3 chip debuted, Apple shocked expectations by unveiling the new iPad Pro with the introduction of the brand-new M4 chip. The M4 chip is built on second-generation three-nanometer technology that’s even more power efficient.

Tim Millet, Apple’s vice president of platform architecture and hardware technologies, says the M4 chip was “essential to deliver incredible performance” in the new iPad Pro, which is now “the most powerful device of its kind.”

The M4 chip was a last-minute rumor broken by Mark Gurman, which was dismissed by some as being unfeasible only half a year after M3 rolled out in last year’s MacBook Pro.

Apple has finally given the Magic Keyboard for iPad the revamp it deserves. The new keyboard accessory includes an aluminum palm rest, a larger trackpad and a row of function keys.

Given the big redesign, the new Magic Keyboard for iPad is only compatible with the M4 iPad Pros.

Apple gave the iPad Air a significant size increase at its “Let Loose” event Tuesday. You can get the new 2024 model with a 13-inch display in addition to the familiar smaller size, now 11 inches instead of 10.9. But no matter the size, the tablet runs an Apple M2 processor and features a front-facing Ultra Wide 12MP camera on the landscape edge and beefed-up speakers.

“Inspired by iPad Pro, where about half the users choose a larger screen, we created a 13-inch model of the new iPad Air, as well,” said Melody Kuna, Apple’s director of iPad Product Design. “[It] has 30% more screen real estate than the 11-inch Air.”

Apple’s online store has gone down ahead of its “Let Loose” event later today. Rumors suggest the company will announce new OLED iPad Pros and Apple Pencil Pro at the event.

Additionally, the 12.9-inch iPad Air might also make its debut at the event.

An AI-powered “Clean Up” feature reportedly coming soon to the Apple Photos app could let users eliminate unwanted objects from images. If true, Apple could showcase the rumored image-editing feature Tuesday at its “Let Loose” event.

During the prerecorded product launch, Apple should show off new iPads alongside some updated accessories, like Apple Pencil and Magic Keyboard.

Add Apple Pencil Pro to the list of products expected at Apple’s May 7 “Let Loose” event. A reference to the stylus turned up on the Japanese version of Apple’s website.

It’s for iPad but might also work with Vision Pro.

How can you watch the Apple iPad event on Tuesday? You can stream Apple’s “Let Loose” event on YouTube, on the apple.com website or on your smart TV.

This week, Apple is expected to debut new iPad Pros with an OLED display and possibly an M4 chip, roll out an updated iPad Air in a 10.9 and new 12.9-inch size, and update the Magic Keyboard and Pencil accessories. New Macs or AirPods are not rumored to be seen at this event.

Here’s how you can watch it all live.

This week on Cult of Mac’s podcast: With Apple’s “Let Loose” event just days away, it’s time for one of our favorite endeavors — trying to predict what, exactly, Tim Cook & Co. will trot out. This time, it looks like the event will be all about new iPads (plus iPad accessories like Apple Pencil and Magic Keyboard). But whose predictions will prove most accurate?

Erfon, Griffin and I go on the record with our “Let Loose” event predictions (and talk plenty of trash). Plus, for the first time, listeners can download their own scoresheets and play along.

Let the crystal-balling begin!

Also on The CultCast:

• The European Union is on a technocratic rule-making rampage. Now Brussels is targeting the iPad.
• We chew on some big changes reportedly coming in iOS 18.
• And finally, don’t miss our exclusive deal for Cult of Mac readers (and CultCast listeners): Get an exceptional iPhone charger with MagSafe battery pack for just $44.99. This 60% deep discount ends soon!

Listen to this week’s episode of The CultCast in the Podcasts app or your favorite podcast app. (Be sure to subscribe and leave us a review if you like it!) Or watch the video live stream, embedded below.

Apple’s upcoming OLED iPad Pro reportedly will begin the company’s shift into AI hardware. The new tablets could sport the next-gen M4 chip to power all the AI features.

If this report proves accurate, Apple will skip bringing its existing M3 SoC to its flagship tablet lineup.

This week on Cult of Mac’s podcast: The surprise Apple event on May 7 looks like an iPad and Apple Pencil extravaganza. What’s on Cupertino’s agenda? We discuss all the latest iPad rumors.

Also on The CultCast:

• Apple might finally fix one of the iPad’s most glaring omissions. Can you say iPad calculator app?
• iOS 18’s big push into artificial intelligence leaves some of us hopeful and others of us skeptical. Same goes for the iPhone 16’s rumored move away from physical buttons.
• Some new Apple Watch Series X concept art gets our hearts pounding. (Better check that ECG!)
• Plus, an instant tangent where we hear all about Erfon’s failed attempt at buying his dream camera.

Listen to this week’s episode of The CultCast in the Podcasts app or your favorite podcast app. (Be sure to subscribe and leave us a review if you like it!) Or watch the video live stream, embedded below.

Apple Pencil 3 is apparently right around the corner, and leaks indicate the next iPad stylus will offer several features not in the previous one. That includes a new “squeeze” gesture, haptic feedback and Find My support.

Plus, it might also work as a Vision Pro stylus.

The analyst who predicted last week that the first 12.9-inch iPad Air would include a mini-LED display has now walked it back.

The upcoming super-size version of the tablet will instead apparently use a standard type of screen.

Apple just invited the world to a May 7 product-launch event with the theme “Let Loose.” As an Apple Pencil is prominently included in the invitation’s image, there’s no doubt that two much-rumored new iPad models are on the agenda.

What is surprising is that there’ll be an event to announce the products, not simply a press release.

Rumors say a new 12.9-inch iPad Air will come out soon. And ESR is banking on it early with the release of its new range of cases for the expected tablet — the first time Apple would offer that size outside of its iPad Pro lineup.

iOS 17.5, iPadOS 17.5 and macOS 14.5 Sonoma, all currently in beta testing, feature a new word game called Quartiles, according to a new report. The game joins Apple News’ pair of daily crossword puzzles.

Apple’s new iPad Pro could launch in early May with updated internals and a refreshed design. All rumors surrounding Apple’s next premium tablet indicate it will feature OLED displays.

The first iPadOS 17.5 beta seems to confirm this, as it contains four new display firmware for unreleased iPad models.