Apple hasn’t officially announced the iPad Pro 2024 but rumors suggest the tablet could get announced during the company's "Let Loose" event on May 7. If true, it would replace the iPad Pro 2022 since Apple didn’t release any new iPads in 2023. Given some of the rumors we’ve heard in recent months, the next iPad Pro will potentially offer a handful of welcome (and long-awaited) upgrades over its predecessors.
We won’t know for certain what has changed between the iPad Pro 2022 and the iPad Pro 2024 until the latter arrives. However, we've heard the tablet could sport an OLED display, have a thinner design, and even feature an M4 chip instead of an M3 processor.
If what we’ve heard is true, the rumored tablet could find a spot on our best iPads and best tablets lists. Here’s a breakdown of all the rumored upgrades coming to the new iPad Pro. Also, here's how to watch Apple’s May 7 'Let Loose' event online.
OLED panel
Rumors have long suggested Apple would upgrade the iPad Pro with an OLED display. If this happens, it would be a significant improvement over the current mini-LED panel in the 12.9-inch iPad Pro. According to Bloomberg reporter and Apple tipster Mark Gurman, the panel should be “crisper and brighter” and “reproduce colors more accurately.”
On the topic of displays, Gurman has also said the 12.9-inch iPad Pro could get bumped up to a 13-inch screen. However, the 11-inch model wouldn’t receive a size upgrade. That’s something display analyst Ross Young has also claimed. At least the smaller iPad Pro would still receive an OLED panel.
Since OLED screens are inherently thin, discussions have suggested that the iPad Pro will be lighter. Currently, the 11-inch iPad Pro can weigh a little over 1 pound while the 12.9-inch iPad Pro can weigh as much as 1.5 pounds. We can’t say how much lighter the rumored iPad Pros could be, but any weight loss would be welcome.
Landscape front camera
The iPad Pro 2024 could take a design cue from the iPad 10 in the form of a landscape-oriented camera on the front of the tablet. Apple leaker Instant Digital (via MacRumors) posted on the Chinese social media platform Weibo posted an image of what the rumored iPad Pro could look like. If the image in question is legit, Apple plans to move the entire TrueDepth camera array to the right of the tablet. The microphone would remain on the top but newly centered.
We first heard about this rumored upgrade back in January 2024 after the iPadOS 17.4 beta code hinted that the iPad Pro’s Face ID sensors were being relocated from the top of the device when held in portrait, and to the top when held in landscape. "During Face ID setup, iPad needs to be in landscape with the camera at the top of the screen," the code read. Instant Digital claimed the rumored iPad Air 6 would also get a repositioned front camera.
iPads have historically had the front camera positioned on the short side of the display. However, tablet usage has evolved and now most folks tend to use slates in landscape mode instead of portrait. Other tablets, such as the best Android tablets, have shifted their cameras to reflect this. Given how the iPad 10 now has its front camera up top in portrait mode, it wouldn’t be surprising if the iPad Pro followed suit.
Apple M3 chip
Given how the iPad Pro 2022 has an Apple M2 chip, its successor was expected to pack an Apple M3 processor. However, it now seems the iPad Pro could pack an M4 processor instead, according to Apple tipster Mark Gurman.
This chip will help Apple offer new AI capabilities while also blurring the lines between the best MacBooks and the best iPads. It should offer performance and efficiency boosts over the M3 chip, let alone the M2-powered iPad Pro.
I initially believed packing M-series chips into iPads was overkill since most people use the devices for web browsing, watching videos and light work. However, if you’re a video or photo editor who uses an iPad to make a living, then the performance gains M4 could provide should be beneficial.
Magic Keyboard upgrade
If you use an iPad Pro for work, then you might own an Apple Magic Keyboard — which is one of the most useful peripherals for Apple’s large tablet. The Magic Keyboard hasn’t received a major update in a while, but if rumors are true, it’s about to receive a few.
According to Gurman, Apple is revamping the Magic Keyboard to make “the iPad Pro look even more like a laptop than the current setup.” In that same vein, the peripheral will also sport a “larger trackpad.” Gurman also says the Magic Keyboard could also receive an aluminum finish that would give it the aesthetic of Apple’s laptops. If true, this would be another step closer to realizing the dream of making the iPad Pro a laptop replacement — at least visually.
Lastly, rumors have suggested the iPad Pro 2024 would support the equally rumored Apple Pencil 3. The Apple Pencil 2 is arguably the best stylus out there (at least in my humble opinion), so it would be interesting to see what improvements Apple could introduce. The Apple Pencil 3 could also work with the Vision Pro headset.
