Ever since it launched in 2015, the high-end iPad Pro has had one feature that’s been constant: its 12.9-inch display. According to a new report by Mark Gurman, it might be in store for its first-ever change. And it could be a big one.
In his Power On newsletter, Gurman reports that “Apple has engineers and designers exploring larger iPads” that he speculates could be in the 14-inch to 16-inch range. That would be significantly bigger than the 12.9-inch model and rival the largest MacBook Apple sells.
It would also test the limits of ergonomics for comfortably using a tablet while holding it. The 12.9-inch iPad Pro is already tricky to use for long stretches of time, and a couple of extra inches would make it nearly impossible to use without sitting at a desk or table.
But it still would appeal to many iPad Pro users, including Gurman. He writes that “a big iPad would be the perfect device for many people, including me, and would continue to blur the lines between tablet and laptop.” A larger iPad could allow Apple to bring more Mac-like features to the iPad. Gurman notes that a 16-inch model “would be the perfect place” for Mac apps and movable windows, which are still missing from iPadOS 15.
Gurman previously reported that the next iPad Pro could have a glass back to enable wireless charging, as well as reverse wireless charging for filling up other devices. He expects the larger iPad is “unlikely for next year” and is likely “a couple of years down the road at the earliest.”
Michael Simon has been covering Apple since the iPod was the iWalk. His obsession with technology goes back to his first PC—the IBM Thinkpad with the lift-up keyboard for swapping out the drive. He’s still waiting for that to come back in style tbh.
