The iPad Pro was a no show at Apple’s Peek performance event and expectedly so, and if you are wondering when the new model will be released, Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman appears to have the answer.
The iPad Air 5 that was revealed at the event gained 5G connectivity and the homebrewed M1 silicon that has so far been the hallmark of the 2021 iPad Pro, as far as the best tablets of 2022 are concerned.
For $200 less, the iPad Air 5 has almost as big a screen (10.9-inches vs 11-inches) as the 11-inches iPad Pro, same entry-level 8GB RAM, a primary 12MP camera, and a 12MP front ultra-wide camera with the Center Stage feature.
The smaller iPad Pro model is obviously still the better tablet, thanks to the fluid ProMotion screen, up to 16GB of RAM and 2TB of storage, Face ID, a dual-camera rear array with an extra 10MP ultra-wide unit and lidar depth sensing, more speakers, and faster mmWave 5G. The 12.9-inches Pro model is even superior because of the more vivid mini-LED screen.
Gurman had previously said the new iPad Pro models would take more than a year, and has now reiterated that claim and expects them to arrive sometime this fall. The current models were announced in April last year.
He believes that Apple will equip the 2022 lineup with the new M2 chip, which will apparently be manufactured using the 3nm process and will reportedly be based on the A15 chip. The M2 is expected to have the same eight-core CPU as the M1 but may offer a more powerful 10-core GPU.
Some cosmetic changes are also apparently on the cards and the slates will likely support MagSafe charging, but whether that will be enabled through a glass back or just a glass logo remains to be seen.
There is also faint hope that Apple will introduce an even bigger 15-inches model, but don’t hold your breath for it. Apple currently makes one of the best tablets around, and with rival Samsung making moves to attract consumers by features such as a larger 14.6-inches screen, it would make sense for the Cupertino giant to fight fire with fire.
