2022 iPad Pro models rumored to release in September or October

The rumor: Apple is going to have a jam-packed Fall for new hardware, according to Mark Gurman (86.5% accurate, via Power On).

Sam’s take: With rumors of that 14-inch model coming next year, I assumed we wouldn’t be seeing any new iPad Pros this year. But it doesn’t look like that’ll end up being the case. The existing sizes will likely continue to be Apple’s bread and butter for a while still.

14-inch iPad Pro rumored to release in early 2023 with Mini-LED + ProMotion

The rumor: Apple’s next iPad Pro will be their biggest yet, according to Ross Young (92.9% accurate).

  • Said to release in early 2023, the new iPad Pro will have a larger 14.1-inch display (up from the current 12.9-inch model)
  • The new screen will be Mini-LED and 120Hz ProMotion, too…sounding almost identical to the display on Apple’s newest MacBook Pro models

Sam’s take: Larger screened iPads sounds great. As large as my 12.9-inch iPad Pro is already, I would be lying if I said I didn’t crave some extra space for watching videos, drawing or looking at photos. Early next year is far sooner than I ever would have imagined a tablet this size dropping, but I have a feeling I’m going to want this new model. Even if iPadOS 16 still isn’t all the way there for replacing my Mac…

2022 iPad Pro may launch this Fall with MagSafe charging

The rumor: Apple is planning to release new iPad Pros this year, according to Mark Gurman (86.4% accurate, via Power On).

Sam’s take: I think this Fall is a safe bet for new iPad Pro models considering that we didn’t get a new model this Spring. Plus, the M2 chip is rumored to be inside and that hasn’t even been unveiled yet, so I could see Apple debuting this new iPad Pro alongside that announcement.

Kuo: No mini-LED for 11-inch iPad Pro or upcoming ‘Studio Display Pro’ in 2022

The report: Apple will not release devices that require new sized Mini-LED displays in 2022, according to Ming-Chi Kuo (72.5% accurate).

Ian’s Take: Kuo and Young, two very reputable sources, agree that the 11-inch iPad Pro will not get a Mini-LED display this year. This is disappointing as it seemed that Apple was finally starting to make their smaller devices equal to their larger devices (ex. iPhone 13 Pro vs. Pro Max, 14-inch MacBook Pro vs. 16-inch). While I agree with Kuo on the iPad Pro, I don’t agree with him on the upcoming ‘Studio Display Pro.’ I believe that if Apple wants to release a display in the $3000 range, it has to feature Mini-LED. It looks like we won’t have to wait long to see this display: Ross Young says it could release as early as June.

2022 iPad Pro won’t see redesign as rumored, but MagSafe & bigger battery coming

The rumor: Apple is planning a new iPad Pro for 2022 that won’t look all that different, according to 9to5Mac (79% accurate).

Here’s the report…

Our take: As much as I think an all-glass tablet would look out-of-this-world cool…it would be quite heavy and extremely prone to damage. It sounds like Apple has abandoned plans for that and is eyeing a more toned down design update for 2022. Will the rumored larger battery mean we finally get more than 10 hours of advertised battery life on an iPad for the fist time?

Gurman: 3 new iPads coming next year

The rumor: Apple is planning updates to all but one of their iPad models in 2022, according to Mark Gurman (87% accurate, via Power On).

The 2022 lineup, as of now…

Our take: While it sounds like the new $329 iPad and iPad Air updates will be more minor, the biggest iPad Pro update since the flat-edge redesign in 2018 is set to take place next year. This all-glass design sounds stunning, and I can’t believe we will finally be getting wireless charging after all this time.

Future iPad Pro will have repositioned Apple logo & cameras

The rumor: Apple is planning to make landscape mode default on a future iPad Pro, according to dylandkt (75% accurate).

  • The Apple logo, camera module and even OS will be oriented for landscape usage first, rather than portrait orientation which has been standard since 2010…although Dylan notes that he is unsure whether or not this will make the cut for next year’s model
  • Apple is rumored to bring a glass design to the 2022 iPad Pro, along with reverse wireless charging

Our take: With the launch of the Magic Keyboard and recent iPadOS updates, this sounds solid to me. Many folks now use their iPad Pro models in landscape almost exclusively so reorienting the design to optimize for that is a better reflection of the times.

https://twitter.com/dylandkt/status/1441109791258988549

Apple could bring titanium chassis to iPads in the future

The rumor: Apple may be planning to expand Titanium beyond the Apple Card and Watch in the future, according to DigiTimes (61% accurate).

Our take: Considering how much larger iPad bodies are in comparison to the iPhone, I don’t anticipate this happening soon…at all. Down the line, though, titanium would be a really solid form factor upgrade for the iPad Pros. Plus, it would be a nice change fo pace from aluminum (which Apple generally reserves for their lower-end products).

11-inch iPad Pro to get Mini-LED next year

The rumor: Apple is planning to expand Mini-LED on iPad Pro to the smaller model in 2022, according to Ming-Chi Kuo (76.6% accurate).

  • Next year, Apple will significantly step up their Mini-LED game, expanding it from the 12.9-inch model to the 11-inch iPad Pro as well
  • Apple is planning a gradual transition of many of their products to this new display tech

Our take: I think everybody saw this coming, and I fully believe that the supply bottleneck is the only reason it didn’t happen on the 2021 refresh. But this is even more confusing considering that OLED is supposed to be coming to iPads in 2022…

2022 iPad Pro may get glass back, MagSafe & reverse wireless charging

The rumor: Just two weeks after the launch of the M1 iPad Pros, the first rumors for next year’s model have been published by Mark Gurman (88.7% accurate, via Bloomberg).

  • A glass back may replace the aluminum enclosure that has hallmarked the iPad since its launch in 2010
  • This could enable wireless charging for the first time on an iPad, and Apple is said to be “testing a similar MagSafe system” to what is currently found on iPhone 12
  • Reverse wireless charging for AirPods and Apple Watch is also in the works for the 2022 iPad Pro

Our take: Sounds like next year we’re getting the first major design changes on iPad Pro since the last redesign in 2018. Reverse wireless charging is something I would love to see ship on an iPhone or iPad, and I hope we get it here.

M1 iPad Pro is now fastest iOS device by 33%

The news: The first iPad Pro benchmarks have been uploaded and the performance as just as mind-numbing as expected (via MacRumors).

  • With single-core scores hovering around 1715 and multi-core scores in as high as 7262, the M1 chip on iPad Pro is the fastest iOS device by 33.8% when comparing the top two highest iOS multi-core scores of all time
    • The previous iOS multi-core high score was 4809 on the 2020 iPad Pro with A12X inside
  • This M1 chip on iPad Pro sees almost identical performance to the Macs with M1 chip inside

Our take: This performance is ridiculous and is sure to position the iPad Pro in a peculiar spot on the market. At the point, no other tablet even gets close to the performance on the iPad Pro…