Apple’s April 2025 Event Recap: M4 Power and the Tablet Redefined
Apple’s traditional Spring event, held in late April 2025, confirmed several major rumours, focusing heavily on its tablet lineup and delivering a significant generational leap. The theme was clearly professional mobility, driven by the introduction of the powerful M4 chip. As we enter May, here is an overview of the announcements that dominated the tech headlines and what they mean for the refurbished market.
💻 The New M4 iPad Pro: Power Shift
The star of the show was undoubtedly the redesigned iPad Pro, marking the first time the M-series chip has hit the tablet line before the MacBooks. This immediate integration of the M4 chip signals Apple’s dedication to pushing the iPad Pro as a true laptop replacement.
- M4 Chip: The M4 delivers a massive boost in performance and, crucially, superior efficiency for managing demanding creative and multitasking applications.
- Display Updates: Both the 11-inch and 13-inch models received significant display upgrades, resulting in even brighter and more colour-accurate visuals.
- Accessory Redesign: The Magic Keyboard was redesigned with a sturdier aluminium deck and, for the first time, a full row of function keys, addressing a long-standing user request for improved professional use.
The speed jump from the M2 (or even M3) to the M4 is substantial, which will create strong demand for users to trade in their older iPad Pro models.
🎨 Mid-Cycle Refresh: iPhone 16 Spring Colours
As is customary, Apple gave its flagship iPhones a splash of colour to boost sales midway through the cycle. The iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Pro models received two striking new spring colourways:
- New Base Colours: The standard iPhone 16 was launched in a vibrant Coral Pink and a refreshing Lime Green.
- Accessory Updates: These colours extended to new silicon and leather cases for the entire iPhone 16 lineup.
While the hardware remains unchanged, these mid-cycle refreshes make the previous colour models slightly less unique, driving down their value slightly. If you have an original colour iPhone 16, now is a good time to sell before the market fully saturates with the new colour options.
📈 The Refurbished Opportunity
The launch of such a powerful iPad Pro creates a perfect cascading effect in the refurbished market. Users of the M2 and M3 iPad Pro models will be keen to upgrade, increasing the supply of high-quality, powerful refurbished tablets.
If you're still using an older iPad (like the iPad Pro M1 or a 4th Gen iPad Air), now is the ideal time to trade it in. Its value remains high, and the cash can be put toward a cheaper M2 or M3 model that will still offer performance far beyond most users’ needs.
Upgrade your professional setup responsibly. Secure your next powerful refurbished iPad or Mac today when you buy a refurbished smartphone (or tablet/Mac). Ready to trade in your old M-series iPad to fund the M4? Get an instant quote to sell your old handset (or tablet) to Envirofone.
