iPad Pro 2022 tipped to get a hidden feature in its Apple logo

The iPad Pro tablets are comfortably the most powerful of their kind on the market at the moment packing a vaunted Apple M1 SoC and up to 16GB of RAM. While they are feature packed, and priced accordingly, Apple is always looking for ways to improve on them to help keep them at the top of people’s shopping lists. One of the hot next-generation iPad Pro rumors coming out of 2021 for the next iPad Pro upgrade was that it would receive MagSafe charging support. Currently, all iPad models sold by Apple charge over either a wired Lightning or USB-C cable – the iPad mini, Air and Pro models have all been upgraded to support the newer standard.

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MagSafe support in both the iPhone 12 and iPhone 13 requires that the back side of each phone has a glass panel (rather than aluminum, as was present in many earlier generations of the device). Apple had been rumored to include full glass back panels on the next generation of iPad Pro, along with wireless charging support via MagSafe. This would be the first time the iPad Pro had official wireless charging support. While MagSafe on an iPad may not have quite as many alternative applications as it does with the iPhone (think wireless charging stands and car mounts, for example,) being able to quickly attach MagSafe puck to the back of an iPad Pro with magnetic precision is a convenience in and of itself.

Apple logo could do double duty as a MagSafe “port”

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This week, sources have told 9to5Mac that Apple seems to have abandoned the idea of full glass backs for the next generation of iPad Pro. While it might be stating the obvious, the cited reasons are said to do with an all-glass back being more easy to damage and thus increase the device’s fragility. One could also imagine that a glass back on an iPad Pro is also likely to negatively impact its weight. It is undoubtedly a shame, as the textured matt glass back on the iPhone 13 Pro and Pro Max models would have also looked great on the back of an iPad Pro. However, Apple may have found a solution.

According to 9to5Mac’s sources, Apple is testing prototype iPad Pro models with a workaround that involves replacing the current machined aluminum logo with one made from glass. Depending on the size of the wireless charging coils being used by Apple, this should allow the wireless charging functionality to work unimpeded. The prototypes are also said to feature stronger magnets to help prevent accidents and may also support faster wireless charging speeds than the iPhone. This is good news, as iPad Pro models use much larger batteries and would otherwise take much longer to charge wirelessly.

Expectations are that Apple will launch the updated iPad Pro series in the first half of 2022, when all will be revealed.