Apple could launch new iPad Pro with mini-LED display and M1-like chip in 2021

What’s a computer, right? The iPad (and various iterations of it) has dominated the tablet industry in recent years, and for good reason. Rather than groundbreaking hardware per se, Apple has clearly put a lot of effort into building software aspect of its tablet lineup, including the tablet-optimised iPadOS, the Apple Pencil, and the (overpriced) Magic Keyboard. But what’s next for the range-topping iPad Pro?

Well, quite a bit, if a report from Bloomberg is to be believed. According to the video, Apple is set to launch a new iPad Pro sometime in 2021—and this time, we’ll be seeing a number of significant, hardware upgrades over the 2020 model. It certainly feels like improvements are overdue, with the 2020 Pro model being an incremental upgrade over the iPad Pro 2018, which was the first iPad to feature the modern design (without the home button).

According to the report, the iPad Pro will still look very similar to the 2020 version, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing, of course. But this time, Apple’s flagship tablet is predicted to come with a mini-LED display—a decision that could see the tablet becoming a little thicker, although the trade-off will be for a better display with more contrast. This makes some sense, with previous reports suggesting that Apple was already planning for this change back in 2020.

Meanwhile, Apple could also be using a whole new processor with the 2021 iPad Pro. Interestingly, the video says that the purported new processor will be “on par” with the M1 Silicon that first debuted on the MacBook series in 2020. You will, of course, see improved performance, but this will also bring 5G connectivity to the iPad range for the very first time.

Plus, if the iPad’s chip is that similar to the M1, this could also open up the possibility of more interoperability between macOS and iPadOS—something that we’ve already seen explored in the past.

There’s also a new base model iPad coming in 2021, the video says, although we don’t see any information on that release just yet. Meanwhile, no word on the iPad Mini for the second year running, despite the last release coming in 2019—almost two years ago.

Personally, I don’t really see a need for another Mini model. The iPhone 12 Pro Max already has a sizeable 6.7″ display, which is nearly as big as the iPad Mini 2019’s 7.9″ display. Perhaps there’s still a market for mini tablets, but personally, the joy of using a tablet—and an iPad—has been a large display that still works as easily as a mobile device.

So, what do you think? Is this the iPad Pro for you? Let us know in the comments section down below.

[ VIA ]

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