Apple’s “Let Loose” event on May 7, 2024, was a short, prerecorded presentation devoted almost entirely to iPads and creative accessories. Its headline announcements were the M4 iPad Pro with a tandem-OLED display, a redesigned M2 iPad Air that added a 13-inch size, Apple Pencil Pro, and a new Magic Keyboard for iPad Pro. Apple also previewed creative apps and adjusted the price of its entry-level iPad.
This is a recap of what Apple announced then—not a guide to which models are newest or what they cost today. The prices below are U.S. launch prices from 2024.
What happened at Apple’s “Let Loose” event?
Apple held the online event on May 7, 2024, starting at 7:00 a.m. Pacific Time. It was a prerecorded presentation lasting about 38 minutes, according to contemporary event coverage. Rather than a broad product keynote, it focused on the iPad lineup and tools for drawing, video, and music production.
The new iPad Air and iPad Pro went on sale in stores on May 15, 2024. Apple’s availability announcement detailed the products and their U.S. launch prices.
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Every major announcement at a glance
| Announcement | What Apple introduced |
|---|---|
| iPad Pro | 11- and 13-inch models with M4, tandem-OLED displays, and a landscape-positioned front camera |
| iPad Air | M2 models in 11- and 13-inch sizes; the 13-inch size was new to the Air line |
| Apple Pencil Pro | Squeeze controls, barrel rotation, haptic feedback, and Find My support |
| Magic Keyboard for iPad Pro | A redesigned keyboard with a function row, aluminum palm rest, and larger haptic trackpad |
| Creative apps | Final Cut Pro 2 and Logic Pro 2 for iPad, plus Final Cut Camera for iPhone and iPad |
| Standard iPad lineup | The 10th-generation iPad’s starting price fell to $349, and Apple discontinued the ninth-generation model |
What changed with the iPad Pro?
The 2024 iPad Pro came in 11- and 13-inch sizes and introduced Apple’s M4 chip in an iPad before the chip appeared in other Apple devices. Its most visible change was the Ultra Retina XDR display, which uses tandem OLED technology. Apple also offered nano-texture glass on select higher-capacity configurations, moved the front camera to the landscape edge, and made the design thinner and lighter than the preceding generation.
Why the M4 mattered—and who needed it
Apple presented M4 as both a performance upgrade and a way to drive the new display engine, emphasizing its Neural Engine and potential for AI workloads. Those are Apple’s claims about the chip’s capabilities; they do not mean every iPad owner would notice a practical improvement in everyday tasks. The M4 was significant for demanding creative work, but browsing, streaming, note-taking, and ordinary office tasks were not, by themselves, reasons most people needed a Pro.
Storage, connections, and accessories
The Pro’s storage configurations ran from 256GB to 2TB, and it included Thunderbolt/USB 4 connectivity. It supported Apple Pencil Pro and Apple Pencil USB-C. The redesigned Magic Keyboard announced alongside it was made for this Pro generation, rather than being a universal keyboard upgrade for older iPads.
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Why the 13-inch iPad Air mattered
The M2 iPad Air came in 11- and 13-inch sizes, giving buyers a large-screen option below the Pro tier. The 13-inch Air was positioned for people who wanted more room for split-screen work, drawing, or media without paying the 13-inch Pro’s display premium. TidBITS described its screen area as roughly 30% greater than the 11-inch Air’s; that comparison concerns display area, not a performance gain.
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1Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minute2Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errors3Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesBoth sizes had a landscape-positioned front camera with Center Stage, Wi-Fi 6E, and storage starting at 128GB and extending to 1TB. The Air supported Apple Pencil Pro and Apple Pencil USB-C, and was offered in blue, purple, starlight, and space gray. Apple’s performance comparisons, including claims such as “nearly 50% faster,” depend on the specific older model used as a baseline and should not be read as a universal result across workloads.
What Apple Pencil Pro added
- Squeeze: Pressing the Pencil could open a tool palette or trigger an action supported by the app.
- Barrel roll: A gyroscope detected rotation, letting supported tools such as brushes change orientation as the Pencil turned.
- Haptic feedback: A tap-like response confirmed certain interactions.
- Find My: The Pencil could be located through Apple’s Find My network if misplaced.
On compatible iPads, the Pencil attached magnetically for pairing, charging, and storage. Compatibility was model-specific: the new Air and Pro supported Apple Pencil Pro and Apple Pencil USB-C; the iPad mini supported Apple Pencil (2nd generation) and USB-C; and the 10th-generation iPad supported Apple Pencil (1st generation) and USB-C. An older iPad was not automatically compatible with the new Pencil. Apple’s launch announcement lists the launch-generation pairings.
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What was new in the Magic Keyboard?
The redesigned Magic Keyboard for iPad Pro added a row of function keys, a larger trackpad with haptic feedback, and an aluminum palm rest. It retained a floating-hinge design and came in black or white. Its practical appeal was a more laptop-like way to work on the Pro; it did not turn iPadOS into macOS, and the keyboard was exclusive to the new Pro generation.
The accessory costs also changed the real purchase total. At launch, the 11-inch Pro started at $999, while its keyboard cost $299 and Apple Pencil Pro cost $129. Adding both to the base Wi-Fi tablet brought the subtotal to $1,427 before tax, storage upgrades, cellular service, protection, or a case. The 13-inch Pro started at $1,299, with a $349 keyboard and $129 Pencil Pro; tablet plus those two accessories totaled $1,777 before those additional costs.
What Apple announced for creative software
Final Cut Pro 2 for iPad
Apple highlighted Live Multicam, a workflow for viewing and controlling multiple camera feeds, alongside other updates for video editing on iPad. The announcement reinforced the Pro’s pitch as a device for production work, although an app’s availability does not establish that it will fit every editor’s workflow.
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Logic Pro 2 for iPad
Logic Pro 2 added music-production features including Stem Splitter, which separates a recording into parts such as vocals and instruments for further work. Apple framed the update as another way to make the iPad useful in a creative studio workflow.
Final Cut Camera
Final Cut Camera was announced as a camera app for iPhone and iPad, designed to support capture and multicamera workflows alongside Final Cut Pro. These software announcements supported the hardware story; the event was not a major iPadOS redesign or announcement of a new operating system.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.U.S. launch prices for the 2024 announcements
| Product | U.S. launch starting price |
|---|---|
| 11-inch iPad Air, Wi-Fi | $599 |
| 13-inch iPad Air, Wi-Fi | $799 |
| 11-inch iPad Pro, Wi-Fi | $999 |
| 13-inch iPad Pro, Wi-Fi | $1,299 |
| Apple Pencil Pro | $129 |
| Apple Pencil USB-C | $79 |
| 11-inch Magic Keyboard for iPad Pro | $299 |
| 13-inch Magic Keyboard for iPad Pro | $349 |
| 11-inch Smart Folio for iPad Pro | $79 |
| 13-inch Smart Folio for iPad Pro | $99 |
These figures are historical U.S. launch prices, not current prices or prices for other regions. Apple’s lineup has moved on since 2024; check its current iPad store for present models and pricing.
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What Apple did not announce
There was no new iPhone, Mac, or Apple Watch hardware, and Apple did not refresh the iPad mini. The event also did not introduce a major iPadOS redesign. Apple compared the Pro and its keyboard with laptop-like work, but it did not replace the MacBook or erase the practical differences between iPadOS and macOS, including app availability, file handling, multitasking, and external-display workflows.
How to recap the event for a buyer
The most useful way to explain “Let Loose” is as a two-tier iPad story: the Air brought M2 performance, a landscape camera, Pencil Pro support, and—new for the line—a 13-inch screen at a lower launch price than the large Pro; the Pro delivered the premium tandem-OLED display, M4, Thunderbolt/USB 4, and a redesigned keyboard. Accessories and software made the creative-work pitch more concrete, while the 10th-generation iPad price reduction addressed the entry tier.
For readers using the recap to assess a purchase, match the product to the work rather than the event’s biggest specifications. A large-screen Air was the value route for workspace; the Pro was aimed at buyers who would benefit from its display, connectivity, storage ceiling, or demanding creative workloads. For a current purchase, compare today’s generations and prices rather than treating the 2024 launch figures as current.
Quick Recap
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
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