Apple final up to date the iPad Professional line in April 2021, bringing the M1 processor to the platform for the primary time and Liquid Retina XDR mini-LED expertise to the 12.9-inch mannequin. Improvement of the subsequent mannequin is nicely underway, however when will the brand new iPad Professional launch, and what design adjustments, new options and tech specs can we anticipate?
Studies recommend that an M2 processor is on the best way. Different adjustments might convey a glass again and MagSafe charging. Right here’s the whole lot it’s essential learn about a brand new iPad Professional that would arrive in just some weeks.
iPad Professional launch date: When will the subsequent iPad Professional arrive?
We anticipate new iPad Professional fashions to be launched in fall 2022, probably at an Apple occasion in October or launched as an replace to Apple’s web site. The iPad Professional doesn’t actually have a lot of a predictable launch schedule, however we’re due for an replace because it’s been about 18 months between releases. Apple has by no means gone a full two years between iPad Professional releases:
- iPad Professional (fifth era): April 20, 2021 (11-inch and 12.9-inch)
- iPad Professional (4th era): March 18, 2020 (11-inch and 12.9-inch)
- iPad Professional (third era): October 30, 2018 (11-inch and 12.9-inch)
- iPad Professional (2nd era): June 5, 2017 (10.5-inch and 12.9-inch)
- iPad Professional (1st era): September 9, 2015 (12.9-inch); March 21, 2016 (9.7-inch)
In March, Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman recommended {that a} fall 2022 launch for a brand new iPad Professional is probably going – he truly predicted a launch between September and November 2022. He claimed it will be essentially the most important replace for the reason that all-screen redesign in 2018.
Nonetheless, as of September, Gurman thinks that it’s attainable there will probably be no occasion and as a substitute Apple will simply situation a press launch about new merchandise launching in October—however he does at the very least nonetheless anticipate the iPad Professional to be considered one of these new merchandise.
Logitech appears satisfied that two new iPad Professional fashions are launching quickly, by accident publishing product itemizing web page for Logitech’s Crayon stylus had been up to date to incorporate compatibility with two new tablets: the “iPad Professional 11-inch (4th gen)” and the “iPad Professional 12.9-inch (sixth gen).”
iPad Professional value: How a lot will the brand new iPad Professional price?
If a brand new bigger screened, 14- or 15-inch mannequin is launched then we anticipate the next value for that mannequin. As for the remainder of the iPad Professional line up, we anticipate pricing will change within the US, however pricing within the UK and elsewhere is prone to be adjusted for inflation.
We will use pricing for the previous couple of generations as a information. Right here’s how the baseline fashions lined up at launch:
- iPad Professional 11-inch (2021): $799/£749
- iPad Professional 12.9-inch (2021): $1,099/£999
- iPad Professional 11-inch (2020): $799/£769
- iPad Professional 12.9-inch (2020): $999/£969
In earlier years you’d have seen equal costs for U.Ok. and U.S., e.g. $999/£999, or perhaps a lower cost level for the U.Ok., however these days appear to be lengthy gone as we noticed with the iPhone 14. With that in thoughts, we expect Apple will improve the worth within the U.Ok., so anticipate the U.Ok. costs to be both the identical as or, extra doubtless, greater than the U.S. equal.
iPad Professional 2022: Rumors
The iPad Professional had fairly a big redesign in 2018 when it was the primary iPad to realize Face ID and a full-screen because of smaller bezels and the elimination of the Residence button. Are extra design adjustments within the pipeline?
M2 processor
Apple at all times likes to bestow the most effective of its processor line-up into its professional tablets, which is among the causes they’re so ridiculously highly effective. The iPad Professional was the primary iPad to get an M1 chip. Nonetheless, not lengthy after the iPad Air made the identical transfer. Now Apple wants a brand new processor for the iPad Professional to set it aside from the iPad Air.
Now that Apple has unveiled its M2 processor for the MacBook Air and 13-inch MacBook Professional, the brand new chip will nearly definitely make an look within the iPad Professional. Count on barely sooner speeds of round 20 p.c higher than the M1.
Glass again
Gurman and others have indicated that the brand new iPad Professional could have a glass again relatively than aluminum for the primary time. Nonetheless, there are additionally solutions that Apple has dropped plans for a glass again as a result of it will be too fragile. More moderen rumors say that solely the Apple emblem will probably be fabricated from glass however nonetheless assist wi-fi charging.
Wi-fi charging and MagSafe
Numerous information retailers, together with Mark Gurman at Bloomberg, are reporting that the brand new iPad Execs will characteristic glass backs relatively than the present aluminium ones. That is to permit the introduction of wi-fi charging and MagSafe for the primary time on the iPad vary. There have been different experiences although that recommend the glass backs have proved problematic, as they make the iPads extra vulnerable to breakages and might also add to the load. Apple is alleged to be contemplating simply making the Apple emblem glass, which can tackle a few of these points.
Whereas it’s lengthy been rumored that Apple wish to cast off all ports on its units, we will’t see this being the time when it occurs, as Professional customers wish to have the choice to plug equipment into their units to increase their capabilities.
Reverse wi-fi charging
The introduction of wi-fi charging might additionally usher in one other characteristic that’s been in style on Android units for some time: reverse wi-fi charging. This rumor is far more tentative, however we might see Apple permitting the again of the brand new iPad Execs to behave as a wi-fi charging pad for units just like the iPhone 14 or AirPods Professional.
New colours
Apple has just lately launched some new shades to the Mac line up that could possibly be shared with the iPad Professional. For instance, Fundamental Apple Man shared an idea design of the iPad Professional in Midnight:
It’s additionally attainable that Apple expands the colour line prefer it did with the iPad mini and iPad Air with Starlight and the iPhone 14’s new Deep Purple shade, particularly if it switches to glass just like the iPhone.
iPad Professional 2024: What’s Apple engaged on for future fashions?
Whereas this replace will doubtless be a smaller refresh, Apple has larger issues deliberate for future iPad Professional fashions.
Liquid Retina XDR for 11-inch iPad Professional
There have been early rumors that Apple would equip the brand new 11-inch iPad Professional with a mini-LED show like its bigger sibling. Nonetheless, this may increasingly not occur in 2022: analyst Ross Young tweeted that Apple’s mini-LED merchandise most likely received’t launch in 2022, which means that the 11-inch iPad Professional received’t be getting a miniLED show till 2023 or 2024.
Kuo adopted this up with a clarifier, “Extra exactly, there could also be no new merchandise with the brand new mini-LED show dimension in 2022.” So, it seems to be just like the 11-inch iPad Professional will go one other era earlier than the transition to Mini-LED.
A notch within the show
One other hearsay posted by 9to5Mac states that Apple has been experimenting with a brand new design for the iPad Professional that may see the notorious notch come to the platform for the primary time. We’ve seen different experiences that say Apple is considering of positioning the cameras on the longer facet of the chassis, basically making them panorama oriented units. With that transfer, the notch might develop into a actuality, a lot because it did with the 14-inch MacBook Professional and 16-inch MacBook Professional. Whereas these units get away with it because of the menu bar alongside the highest of the display, it will appear extra intrusive on the iPad Professional. With the introduction of the Dynamic Island on the iPhone 14, it’s attainable that Apple introduces one thing comparable on the iPad Professional.
Apple
Contact ID underneath show
Followers of Contact ID could also be hoping that the expertise will make a return to the iPad Professional. Apple is alleged to have been engaged on underneath display Contact ID for a while however hasn’t launched the tech in any machine. Sadly it doesn’t sound like this may make an look on the iPad Professional but—however it might nicely arrive on the iPad earlier than it arrives on the iPhone.
Show analyst Ross Younger shared within the MacRumors Present in July 2022 that he expects under-display Face ID to first arrive on the iPad. Nonetheless, it received’t be this 12 months: Younger suggests {that a} future iPad Professional can be the primary candidate for the expertise.
Lighter, OLED, dry etched show
The 11-inch and 12.9-inch iPad Professional at present weigh in at 466 grams and 682 grams. If Apple switches from aluminium to glass on the again it might truly improve the load of the iPad Professional. Nonetheless, the corporate is alleged to be investigating a expertise that would imply the iPad Professional will be lighter. In keeping with ET Information, Apple is wanting into adopting “dry etching,” which is a course of that may result in thinner and lighter shows. This method, coupled with an OLED display, is extra prone to arrive within the subsequent iPad Professional replace in 2023 or 2024.
Big 14- or 15-inch display
There’s a rumor that Apple will improve the utmost display dimension of its iPad vary from 12.9-inch to 15-inch. The iPad Professional display dimension has been capped at 12.9in for the reason that first iPad Professional launched in 2015.
Sources within the provide chain have indicated that an Apple provider (BOE) is engaged on gigantic 15-inch OLED panels that would plausibly find yourself in an iPad in some unspecified time in the future sooner or later. What’s extra, the revered Bloomberg reporter Mark Gurman claimed in June 2021 that Apple itself has been testing 14-inch-16-inch iPads, and that units in such a kind issue will “proceed to blur the strains between pill and laptop computer”. On the time Gurman wrote: “The 12.9in show is way too small for somebody accustomed to a 16in MacBook Professional”.
Extra just lately, in July 2022, DSSC analyst Ross Younger has claimed {that a} 14.1-inch iPad Professional is in improvement at Apple that would launch in early as 2023.
The issue is primarily considered one of timing. When the report was printed in January 2022 BOE was mentioned to nonetheless at an early stage of improvement, and the mission is unlikely to yield precise industrial merchandise for one more 12 months or two – and should by no means achieve this in any respect, sources say, “because of the problem of the expertise”.
As for Apple’s personal testing, that could be extra promising, however keep in mind that the corporate routinely assessments all kinds of display sizes for all of its merchandise, simply to see if a tweak would assist. That doesn’t imply it’s truly going to occur.
We love the concept of an enormous iPad Professional simply as a lot as Mark Gurman does. However contemplating how costly the 12.9-inch mannequin already is, and the way far more commercially profitable the corporate’s cheaper and small alternate options are, it looks like a protracted shot for a 14- or 15-inch iPad Professional to look within the close to future.
iPad Professional: Additional studying
As you’ll be able to see, there may be loads to be enthusiastic about for the subsequent iteration of Apple’s iPad Execs. We’ll be updating this text as extra information involves mild, so you should definitely test again commonly to see what we discover.
Within the meantime, in case you don’t wish to wait to get your palms on the flagship pill, check out our roundups of the most effective iPad offers and the most effective iPad Professional offers.
