11-inch and 12.9-inch M1 iPad Pro (2021)
The 12.9-inch M1 iPad Pro debuted last quarter with a new mini-LED display that Apple had spent years working on. The smaller 11-inch model settled for yet another LCD screen, but come 2022 that could change.
The 11-inch iPad Pro (2022) will ditch LCD for mini-LED
In a note sent to investors (via MacRumors), reliable analyst Ming-Chi Kuo revealed that Apple is planning to use mini-LED display technology on both the 11-inch and 12.9-inch iPad Pro (2022) models next year.The move would bring better contrast ratios and deeper blacks to Apple’s more affordable (and compact) iPad Pro models. Kuo also believes the switch will help Apple lower the average cost of mini-LED displays.
Whether the prices will come down enough to avoid a price hike is unclear, though. The 12.9-inch iPad Pro (2021) costs $100 more than its predecessor and it wouldn’t be surprising to see Apple do something similar with the 11-inch iPad Pro (2022) next year.
Either way, the switch to mini-LED will likely be short lived. Rumor has it that Apple is planning OLED iPad Pro models for release in 2023. That launch could be preceded by an OLED iPad Air in 2022.
What other upgrades will the iPad Pro (2022) offer?
In addition to the new 11-inch mini-LED display, Apple is said to be planning a pretty major overhaul of its iPad Pro lineup for 2022 that’ll include the first redesign since the 2018 iPad Pro series.
The biggest visual difference looks set to be a switch from an aluminum body to one made from glass, something that’ll enable wireless charging and MagSafe support. The downside being that Apple’s tablets could be more fragile.
Thinner bezels around the respective 11-inch and 12.9-inch displays would seem like an obvious upgrade too, though so far it hasn’t been mentioned in reports, so it could be skipped.
