We’re expecting an iPad Pro 2022, even if Apple’s Peek Performance event in March came and went with only a new iPad Air 5 making an appearance.
Still, Apple has revised its premium tablet every year since it was introduced (excluding 2019). With last year’s iPad Pro being one of the biggest updates ever, we’re excited to see what Apple has in store for 2022. Rumors are currently few and far between. However, with a launch date possibly coming soon, we’ll hopefully hear more about the new iPad Pro in the near future.
Here’s everything we know about the iPad Pro 2022 so far, as well as a wishlist on the off chance Apple is in a listening mood.
iPad Pro 2022 latest rumors (updated September 7)
iPad Pro 2022 design
The 2022 iPad Pro range is, once again, expected to come in 11-inch and 12.9-inch sizes. But design changes appear to be afoot for the iPad Pro 2022, and we’ve heard of a couple so far.
The most recent rumor suggests that the chassis of the new iPad Pro 2022 will remain largely similar to its predecessor barring a change from a three-pin Smart Connector to a four-pin one that could be found on the top and on the bottom side edges. This could help power accessories easily and could hint at wireless charging as well.
Like the rumored Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra and, indeed, the 2021 MacBook Pro, Apple could be adding a notch to the iPad Pro’s design. However, a more recent report from 9to5Mac (opens in new tab) says that while Apple is considering this move, the decision is not set in stone.
Arguably a notch makes a bit more sense here than on the company’s high-end laptops, as the iPad Pro uses FaceID for authentication, which makes for a sizable camera footprint. All the same, it’s likely to prove unpopular even if adding a notch does result in even thinner bezels.
The second design tweak we’ve heard talk of, via Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, is a glass back for the possible introduction of wireless charging. While this has long been a feature of Apple’s non-SE iPhones, there’s talk that this will go a step further with reverse-wireless charging, meaning it will be able to top up the battery of other devices such as your iPhone, Apple Watch or AirPods. That sounds like a further step on the rumored long-term goal for devices to charge each other over the air (though that’s years away).
Apple is rumored to be working on a ginormous 15-inch iPad to take on larger smart screens, and its display components partner BOE has adapted its factory to make 15-inch OLED displays, but this larger panel is said to be at least a couple of years away. But in the meantime, the iPad 2022 model could be getting a 14-inch version, says one leaker. As well as extra screen space, this model could come with more storage and RAM capacity by default, allowing for enhanced overall performance too.
The rumors for OLED displays on the iPad Pro say they won’t arrive until 2024. So it looks like we’ll stick with an LCD 11-inch model and a mini LED 12.9-inch model like we got with the 2021 edition.
iPad Pro 2022 specs
Early tips from analyst Ming-Chi Kuo as well as a tip from a regular leaker pointed to the smaller 11-inch iPad Pro tablet adopting mini-LED screen tech this time around. The feature isn’t entirely new, having debuted in 2021, but it was exclusive to the 12.9-inch models, which cost significantly more. This will hopefully allow more buyers to enjoy the deeper blacks and higher brightness that independently lit pixels provide.
However, Kuo has backed off that claim as of late, and now display analyst Ross Young says an 11-inch iPad Pro with mini-LED is unlikely. Apparently, the 12.9-inch model is doing well enough to where Apple will likely want to keep that feature exclusive to its most expensive tablet.
As for OLED displays, those aren’t expected to arrive for the iPad Pro until 2024. But they sound like they’ll be an impressive update if you can wait, making the iPad screen brighter and more durable.
A separate report from 9to5Mac (opens in new tab) says that the iPad Pro could be powered by Apple’s upcoming M2 chip. The Apple M2 chip was announced at WWDC 2022 and appears in both the MacBook Air 2022 and entry-level MacBook Pro 2022. However we may even see an M2 Pro version of the iPad Pro according to analyst Jeff Pu’s claims of Apple’s new 3-nanometre chip getting used in an iPad later this year.
As for cameras, the same 9to5Mac report says that the iPad Pro 2022 could feature a similar camera setup to the iPhone 13, which would give it impressive image quality along with features like Cinematic mode for video. We’ve also heard the next iPad Pro may ship with support for wireless charging, which would be a welcome upgrade.
iPad Pro 2022 possible release date and price
Currently, the iPad Pro 2022 has been tipped for a fall release, according to reliable tipster and Bloomberg journalist Mark Gurman. This would make sense as previous iPad Pro models have been revealed and released during the fall months. One source has claimed more specifically it could arrive in October, after the main Apple event for the iPhone 14 and Apple Watch 8.
A recent report says that the iPad Pro seems to have run into minor production delays — because of power outages in China. This seems to be minor though, and should not affect the production timeline by too much.
In an amusing pre-release twist, some Optus customers in Australia were able to order the iPad Pro 2022 before it’s even been confirmed to exist. Their orders got cancelled or swapped to a different iPad model shortly after, but it seems like even retailers are preparing for a new premium iPad.
As for the iPad Pro 2022 price, you can expect another premium product — and we imagine that the 11-inch model will get at least the same $100 price hike as the 12.9-inch one did last year, if the rumored mini-LED display is introduced.
That would make the tablet start at $899 for the 11-inch model and $1,099 for the 12.9-inch version. That, of course, is just the entry-level price, with the cost currently rising all the way to $2,199 if you want a 2TB 12.9-inch model with 5G connectivity.
Can’t wait? Then the 2020 iPad Pro also makes for a good refurbished tech purchase, and will save you a good bit of cash. It’s also worth browsing our Apple Store coupons page to find the latest discounts on products.
iPad Pro 2022: What we’d like to see
To be perfectly honest, the iPad Pro is already an excellent product and we’re hard pushed to name any serious weaknesses that need urgent improvement. Nonetheless, we do have a modest wishlist.
To be clear, the 2021 iPad Pro has perfectly respectable battery life, but it’s noticeable that the 12.9-inch model “only” managed ten hours and 48 minutes in our web browsing test, while the 11-inch version achieved 13:42. If that’s a sign that the mini-LED screen is more power hungry than the IPS panel and both are indeed adopting the former this time around, then hopefully there will be larger cells to compensate.
The iPad Pro currently comes in two colors: space grey and silver, so not a great deal of choice there. Recently, Apple has been experimenting with a wider range of colors for both the iPhone 13 and 24-inch iMac, and it would be nice if consumers had the option for a more colorful iPad Pro too.
Okay, this is getting into seriously unlikely territory at this point, but the iPad Pro is at its best when accompanied by two first-party accessories: the Apple Pencil for doodling and the Smart Keyboard to make it into a surrogate laptop. Given the amount Apple makes from selling these optional accessories separately, it’s unlikely to change any time soon, but we can dream…
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