With the Apple September event “Far Out” of sight, the company is set to release another generation of iPad Pro in 2022. More than a year after the model with the M1 chip, miniLED display, and 5G support was first introduced, the company is rumored to launch an even better iPad Pro this year with the M2 chip.
Design and display: no miniLED 11-inch model
Rumors regarding a new design for the iPad Pro 2022 started in June 2021. According to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, this iPad could feature a glass back to enable wireless charging, most likely via MagSafe. Then, in December, the journalist corroborated his previous report.
Wireless charging replaces the usual power cable with an inductive mat, which makes it easier for users to top up their device’s battery. It has grown into a common feature in smartphones but is a rarity among tablets. Apple added wireless charging to iPhones in 2017 and last year updated it with a magnet-based MagSafe system that ensured more consistent charging speeds.
The company is testing a similar MagSafe system for the iPad Pro. Wireless charging will likely be slower than directly plugging in a charger to the iPad’s Thunderbolt port, which will remain as part of the next models.
In January 2022, 9to5Mac was able to discover that Apple hit a roadblock in its plans to redesign the iPad Pro with MagSafe. While the company was testing a full glass back on the iPad Pro 2022, it became a drawback as it would make the product easier to damage and also much more fragile.
According to our sources, the company has developed iPad Pro prototypes with a larger Apple logo (similar to the one on the new MacBook Pro), but this one is made of glass. As a result, power would be transmitted through the glass logo. The prototype also has stronger magnets to prevent accidents, and it supports charges at faster speeds than MagSafe for iPhone.
About its display, Apple is likely to maintain two different sizes: 11-inch and 12.9-inch. Although it was rumored that the 11-inch model would switch the LCD panel for a miniLED display, analysts Ross Young and Ming-Chi Kuo said that Apple will keep the LCD technology for the smaller iPad due to high costs of production – although it could change to an OLED display in a following iteration of the product.
Processor and storage capabilities
After Apple surprised everyone with the addition of the M1 chip on the iPad Pro, it’s likely for the company to add an upgraded version of this processor to the upcoming 2022 iPad Pro. Naturally, this iPad would feature the M2 chip, which has been released with a new MacBook Pro and MacBook Air. 9to5Mac sources corroborate that this new iPad will feature this new processor. It should be faster than the M1, but it will not beat the M1 Pro, Max, or Ultra chips.
For its storage capabilities, it’s likely that Apple will maintain the same options, as there are no rumors regarding more than 2TB of storage, which means:
- 128GB;
- 256GB;
- 512GB;
- 1TB;
- 2TB.
As Apple has been pushing away from the 64GB models on the iPhones, and all the new Macs start at 256GB, it would make sense if the company starts the 2022 iPad Pro with 256GB of storage instead of 128GB.
Battery, 5G, and new accessories
9to5Mac is able to confirm that Apple is working on a new iPad Pro with a larger battery, as some users complain that the Magic Keyboard causes excessive battery drain. Not only that, but as you already read in this roundup, Apple is likely to introduce the ability to charge the 2022 iPad Pro with a MagSafe charger that’s even faster than the one available for the iPhone.
Although there are no rumors about the 2022 iPad Pro’s 5G capabilities, it’s likely that Apple will bring more bands for the upcoming model.
According to Apple Japanese blog Macotakara, based on “reliable sources in China,” the next iPad Pro will feature the same “housing design” and “chassis design” as the current model. The difference, however, will be the two four-pin connectors that will allegedly be located on the “top and bottom side edges.”
The report speculates that these new connectors could “assist in powering peripherals” that connect to the Thunderbolt/USB-C port on the iPad Pro. It’s also worth noting that iPadOS 16 will let device makers create drivers for the iPad with the addition of DriverKit support. Accessory makers could use the new four-pin connectors to assist in that process.
If that’s the case, the current accessories would lose compatibility, so Apple would likely have to release a new Smart Keyboard, Magic Keyboard, and Folio case.
When the 2022 iPad Pro will launch?
9to5Mac believes this new iPad will be introduced in the second half of this year. Bloomberg‘s Mark Gurman said in his Power On newsletter that Apple will likely launch this new iPad Pro around September and November, then it will likely be around October or November, in an iPad and Mac event, as Apple expects to release iPadOS 16 and macOS 13 Ventura simultaneously.
In addition to that, Logitech’s website is already referencing to unreleased iPad Pro models, calling them the six-generation. The company says these new tablets are “coming soon.”
How much the 2022 iPad Pro will cost?
The 2021 12.9-inch iPad Pro got a $100 price increase due to the miniLED display addition. 9to5Mac doesn’t think Apple will change the price of the Pro iPads, mostly because it’s not going to bring miniLED to the 11-inch version.
- 128GB: $799
- 256GB: $899
- 512GB: $1,099
- 1TB: $1,499
- 2TB: $1,899
iPad Pro 12.9-inch with Wi-Fi
- 128GB: $1099
- 256GB: $1199
- 512GB: $1399
- 1TB: $1799
- 2TB: $2199
Wrap up
So far, these are the rumors regarding the 2022 iPad Pro. As we hear more about it, we’ll make sure to update this story.
As of now, you can find the 2021 iPad Pro for an even better deal on Apple’s official page on the Amazon Store here. Don’t forget to check out some 20W power adapters, Apple Pencil, Magic Keyboard, and AirPods as well.
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