Apple updates its iPads annually, but we haven’t seen a new iPad Pro since the M1 models came out in 2021, meaning this lineup is due for an upgrade. Below, we’ll list some key features we’d love to see on the next iPad Pro.
7. An OLED Display
In 2021, Apple introduced an all-new Liquid Retina XDR display for the 12.9-inch iPad Pro, which is nothing but a fancy word for a mini-LED display. Although we love its peak brightness levels, it’s still not as good as the OLED display on your iPhone that can deliver true blacks and an infinite contrast ratio. Plus, this particular iPad Pro model suffers from visible blooming in low-lighting conditions.
So, we’d like Apple to use an OLED display for the next iPad Pro. The company could take notes from Samsung—look at the Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra with a whopping 14.6-inch Super AMOLED display, for example. This could drastically improve the image quality on the iPad Pro, and considering the 11-inch model never got the mini-LED treatment, an OLED panel would be a huge upgrade.
6. A Landscape Face ID Camera
Although Apple’s iPad has greatly evolved as a tablet over the past decade, the camera still sits at the top—like an iPhone—making it one of the tablet’s biggest flaws. Considering most users prefer the landscape orientation over the portrait one, this is a bummer. The top-mounted camera isn’t a problem while unlocking your iPad with Face ID—unless your thumb is covering the camera—but it’s something you’ll need to get over during video calls.
During a video call with an iPad in landscape mode, you’ll notice that your camera is recording at an off angle, making it seem like you’re looking away. Although Apple has tried to address this issue with Center Stage on the M1 iPad Pro and iPad Air models, a side-mounted front-facing camera would work way better and make much more sense.
5. A Bigger, 14-Inch Variant
The 12.9-inch iPad Pro is big enough for almost everybody, but that doesn’t mean there isn’t an audience for an even bigger iPad. Many artists would love to have a larger canvas to draw on, and a 14-inch screen would be perfect for them. Lots of creators would also appreciate more screen real-estate for photo and video editing.
Besides that, a bigger iPad Pro would bring it up to par with the MacBooks in terms of screen size. And if Samsung can find success with its 14.6-inch Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra, what’s stopping Apple from introducing an iPad Pro Max?
4. MagSafe Technology
We’re content with the USB-C port for charging on the iPad Pro, but Apple can expand the charging options by introducing MagSafe—like the iPhone, not the MacBook. Although this is quite a challenge considering that wireless charging support requires a glass back—making the iPad Pro vulnerable to drops—we think Apple can take a different approach.
Instead of using a glass back altogether, the company could use a glass Apple logo, allowing it to support MagSafe without affecting the iPad’s durability. Of course, wireless charging is a lot slower, but this would allow pro users to hook up their USB-C accessories and peripherals while actively charging their iPads. A neat way to bring wireless charging to tablet devices, right?
3. Reverse Wireless Charging
How cool would it be to charge your iPhone or AirPods wirelessly with just your iPad? Well, it’s certainly possible, considering the iPad Pro packs a massive battery. It can already seamlessly power iPad accessories like the Magic Keyboard and Apple Pencil. So, it’s not unrealistic to count on Apple to add reverse wireless charging support so that you can charge your other Apple devices.
With reverse wireless charging support, iPad users wouldn’t have to carry their Lightning cables around to charge their iPhones and AirPods, especially while traveling. Ultimately, this feature would be worthwhile for users willing to sacrifice some charging speed for convenience.
2. Better Battery Life
The iPad Pro has good battery life for a tablet, with Apple claiming up to 10 hours of web browsing over Wi-Fi and up to 9 hours of browsing over 5G. That’s roughly three hours more than what the Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra can deliver, despite the Galaxy Tab packing a bigger battery in a larger package.
However, if you look at the battery life of the previous iPad Pro models, including the original iPad Pro that came out in 2017, you’ll notice that Apple still hasn’t improved in this aspect. Despite the processors getting more efficient each year and the various advancements in the displays, the iPad Pro’s battery performance still hasn’t gotten better.
If Apple wants the iPad Pro to replace a laptop, then it should offer comparable battery performance to a MacBook. However, that’s not currently the case, as the M1 MacBook Air delivers up to 15 hours of web browsing. So, we’d like to see Apple step it up and offer at least a 12-hour battery life on the next iPad Pro.
1. Support for Pro Apps Like Final Cut Pro
The lack of pro apps in iPadOS is one of the main reasons many creators hesitate to switch to an iPad-only workflow. Unlike macOS, you don’t get access to a complete video editing suite like Final Cut Pro or a digital audio workstation like Logic Pro. Sure, you have alternatives like LumaFusion, but they’re far from perfect, and most people wouldn’t want to deal with new software.
As it stands, the iPad Pro’s hardware is way ahead of its software, and we think most apps aren’t tapping into the true potential of this powerful machine. So, we want Apple to address this issue by bringing its Pro apps to iPadOS with the release of the next iPad Pro.
The Most Powerful iPad Can Get Even Better
The iPad Pro may be the most powerful and capable tablet you can buy by far, but there’s still plenty of room to improve. Moreover, what are you going to do with all that power if the software is holding it back?
Apple needs to make further refinements to not only the hardware but also the software to justify the upgrade for existing iPad Pro users. Also, if Apple launches an even bigger iPad, customers will have a harder time choosing the right screen size.
