What to expect from Apple's rumored new iPad Pro - CNET

009-ipad-air-2020-4th-gen — The new iPad Air arrived last fall (middle). How will a new iPad Pro (right) step up the game?
Scott Stein/CNET

The 2020 iPad Pro arrived at the beginning of a year-long (and counting) pandemic, back in mid-March 2020. It's likely due for an upgrade soon, possibly alongside new AirPods and Apple's long-awaited location-aware AirTag trackers.

That 2020 model didn't have much of a processor bump, and looked nearly the same as the model from 2018. It did introduce some new tech and accessories, though: It was the first Apple product to have a depth-sensing lidar sensor, and Apple introduced a trackpad-enabled Magic Keyboard case (that cost as much as an entry-level iPad).

Apple's recent Macs have been upgraded to speedy custom Apple M1 processors that feel like advanced versions of the chips that were already in the iPad Pro. So what will Apple do for its tablet lineup? Here's what we could expect.

A better display

The iPad Pro display is great, and its 120Hz refresh rate still isn't available on any other iPhone or iPad. But a shift to OLED (or in the meantime, Mini LED) feels overdue. Especially since the iPad Pro is aimed at graphic designers, photo editors and people looking for perfect displays.

ipadpro-macbookm1-3 — Will the iPad Pro and the MacBook Air have the same M1 processor? If so, how similar will they become?
Scott Stein/CNET

An M1 processor (or, something nearly as good)

The A12Z processor on the 2020 iPad Pro is, to be clear, still fast. But it wasn't much faster in benchmarks than the A12X processor from 2018, which points to an overdue chip upgrade. There could be an A14Z or A14X processor that enhances the chip on Apple's recent iPhones and iPad Air, but why not use the M1 that's already in the MacBook Air? Unless Apple can't work out a way to fit it on a tablet yet, the M1 seems like an obvious choice for an expensive Pro tablet that can cost as much as a laptop.

5G?

The iPad doesn't have 5G... yet. Since the 2020 iPhones introduced 5G, the iPad Pro would make sense as the next on deck. Apple doesn't even have LTE on any of its laptops, but iPads have had that option almost from the start. That being said, I've found my local 5G to be lacking, and mobile data is an add-on option I don't tend to use.

A better pencil

Recent reports claimed that Apple may have a newer version of the Pencil stylus, maybe one that's more compact or have additional touch-based controls (or a new tip?). The second-gen Apple Pencil debuted back in 2018 and there's already iPad stylus fragmentation, with differing levels of support in different iPads for the first- and second-gen Pencil.

Could Apple shift the front camera placement?

The iPad isn't great for landscape-based video conferencing, because the front-facing camera ends up sitting on one side and making conversations look like I'm staring somewhere else. It would make sense for Apple to change where the front=facing camera is this year. We're all working and schooling from home more than ever, and when we do, we usually do it with the iPad held sideways. (Even the Magic Keyboard assumes you're using the iPad that way).

macbookm1-ipadpro-2 — The iPad Pro and Mac already feel like they're overlapping. Will this year's iPad continue to blur the lines?
Scott Stein/CNET

Why not make iPadOS even more expansive (and Maclike)?

If Apple were to put the M1 in the iPad Pro, it also raises the question of whether Apple would unleash the iPad's software even further. Living with an M1 MacBook Air alongside an iPad Pro reminded me of the iPad's OS limitations, and how a more multitasking-focused, monitor-enabled iPad could feel even more like a full-fledged computer. Now that the iPad already supports trackpads, mice and plenty of Thunderbolt peripherals, why not?

My biggest desire for the next wave of iPads isn't about hardware. It's about unleashing the software to make it as versatile as what Macs already are. Apple's next event is expected on March 23, so we may not have long to wait to see if any of these make the cut.

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