In 2015, the first generation iPad Pro came out with a 12.9-inch body, Retina screen, rounded bezels, A9X chip, and 8 million rear camera, a configuration that could be considered unique back then.
Time has come to 2022, and the iPad Pro series has been changed to the fifth generation (iPad Pro 2021). Based on the timing of the product launch, the iPad Pro series is due for another round of upgrades, and many rumors online claim that Apple is planning to announce the sixth generation of iPad Pro at its launch event this fall.
14.1-inch iPad Pro: from 16GB+512GB
Foreign media outlet PHONEARENA is reporting that Apple is working on a 14.1-inch iPad Pro with an M2 chip, as well as 16GB of RAM and 512GB of storage as standard.
14.1 inches is put into the iPad Pro lineup, a new size of sorts, and 12.9 inches has been the largest size consumers can buy since the initial iPad Pro was released.
As for 16 GB of RAM, the iPad Pro 2021 only comes with 1 TB and above, and 8 GB of RAM for the 512 GB and below version.
Apple may have developed the 14.1-inch iPad Pro to work better with iPadOS 16, compared to the 12.9-inch iPad Pro, where the larger screen looks less cramped when using foreground scheduling and multitasking windows.
When users use foreground scheduling and multitasking on iPad Pro, the background cache data increases, and 16GB has twice as much memory compared to 8GB, which reduces the chance of the system checking out the background.
It's important to note that the leak claims that the 14.1-inch iPad Pro comes with 16GB of LPDDR4X memory, not LPDDR5, which is pretty much standard on Android flagships as early as 2020. If that's true, then the 14.1-inch iPad Pro's internal memory is weaker than today's Android flagships in terms of performance, power consumption, and transfer bandwidth.
14.1-inch iPad Pro: up to 4TB optional
Now that the 14.1-inch iPad Pro has an expanded screen and memory, I'm sure storage won't be left behind either. In a report by foreign media PHONEARENA, it was mentioned that the 14.1-inch iPad Pro supports up to 4TB of storage.
Considering the iPad Pro is currently on sale, it's official to offer five blocks of storage: 128GB, 256GB, 512GB, 1TB, and 2TB, with only 8GB of memory in the first three.
Following this logic, the 14.1-inch iPad Pro may also be offered with five levels of storage, including 512GB, 1TB, 2TB, 3TB, and 4TB.
Previously, Apple said at launch that the M2 supports up to 24GB of memory. Combined with the previous mix of storage combinations in the iPad Pro lineup, the 3TB and 4TB versions of the 14-inch iPad Pro could come with 24GB of LPDDR 5 memory.
Typically, Apple will give you all the top hardware as long as the money is there. Of course, it's also possible that to differentiate it from the MacBook Pro lineup, the 14.1-inch iPad Pro only supports up to 16GB of RAM, or up to 24GB of LPDDR4X RAM.
New iPad Pro: MagSafe support across the board
Just because Apple is working on a 14.1-inch iPad Pro doesn't mean that the 12.9-inch will get the axe. Twitter blogger Majin Bu says the new iPad Pro comes in three sizes: 14.1, 12.9, and 11. And all three iPad Pro models will see new changes to their appearance, like narrower screen bezels.
From a technical standpoint, if you want the iPad Pro's bezels to shrink even further, Apple will probably use the same bangs screen as the 14-inch MacBook Pro. Because the iPad Pro is not as thin as the 14-inch MacBook Pro's single screen and can cram in more components, the new iPad Pro will still retain Face ID.
Not only that, but Bloomberg's Mark Gurman broke the news that the new iPad Pro will support MagSafe magnetic charging across the board, and that the metal on the back of the device may be replaced with glass.
I personally prefer the MagSafe on the MacBook Pro over the same MagSafe on the iPhone, because the MagSafe on the iPhone is not a good experience, not only is it slow to charge, but it also causes the device to heat up badly. The bottom line is that the iPad Pro may be less durable if the back panel is made of glass instead.
The MagSafe on the MacBook Pro does not suffer from these problems, Apple just needs to change the Type-C connector on the iPad Pro to MagSafe.
So it looks like the new iPad Pro might see a price hike that's a bit like the new MacBook Air, with a $1,500 price increase over its predecessor. The top-of-the-line iPad Pro could break the $20,000 mark, and the price of the base iPad Pro could go up a notch.
New iPad Pro: LCD and Mini LED options
In recent years, Apple's knife skills are getting more and more exquisite. Tianfeng International analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said that due to higher production costs, the screen material of the 11-inch iPad Pro remains LCD, and Mini LED is only available for the 12.9 and 14.1-inch iPad Pro.
Mini LEDs are known to outperform LCDs in both color and brightness performance, and with a peak brightness of 1000 nits, they also qualify for HDR viewing.
However, Mini LED doesn't perform very well on the iPad Pro. Previously, there was a lot of feedback online from users that their newly purchased 12.9-inch iPad Pro was showing a lot of halo on the screen in low light conditions. There are rumors that the halo problem, Apple will be improved on the next generation Mini LED model iPad Pro.
It is worth mentioning that the latest report of foreign media The Elec shows that Apple plans to launch two iPad Pro OLED in 2024, due to the newly opened 8.5 generation production line of Samsung needs until 2024 to produce OLED, so Apple originally planned to release two iPad Pro OLED in this year, will be postponed to 2024.
We can roughly surmise from this news that Apple may not be able to completely solve the mini LED halo problem on the iPad, and that switching to OLED for better color performance may be the best idea.
Although OLED life and brightness are not as bright as Mini LED, but as long as the use of standard, within 5 years basically will not have burned screen problems.
Is the new iPad Pro worth the wait?
As for whether the new iPad Pro is worth the money, you'll need to judge it against your own everyday needs. For those who are light users and usually just take it for drama and gaming, iPad Pro 2021 is worth considering.
If you're an intense user who uses iPad Pro for multitasking and often uses it for video editing, 3D modeling, graphic design, and more, then consider the new iPad Pro.
In fact, for most average users, the iPad Pro 2021 is overflowing with performance and will be fine for basically 5 years of use. Of course, if you're on a budget, you can choose the new iPad Pro with your eyes closed.
Even if some users think the bangs are ugly, the new iPad Pro is at least recognizable and no longer as hard to distinguish as the 2021 and 2020 iPad Pros. Moreover, Apple's development of the 14.1-inch iPad Pro indicates that the iPad Pro series will soon open the era of multitasking, and its productivity attributes will be further strengthened along with iPadOS 16's front desk scheduling, collaboration, multi-window and other features.
A lot of people have long thought that putting productivity and iPad Pro together was a joke, and even with the M1 iPad Pro, it always felt like a powerhouse. Now the new iPad Pro has more than just computer-ready hardware, and with several new features in iPadOS 16, it just proves to the outside world that tablets can be productivity tools, too.
As Apple officially advertises, your next computer, and why should it be a computer?