The iPad Pro lineup last year. It sounds like this year’s upgrades may have a similar design.
Scott Stein/CNETEditor’s note, March 8, 2022: Today’s Apple event didn’t just bring an upgraded iPad Air, we also saw the iPhone SE 3, a new green color option for iPhone 13 and 13 Pro, and iOS 15.4, the latest iPhone update. You can take a look at everything Apple announced here.
Apple’s first event of 2022 is now hours away (you can watch it here), and we’re looking ahead to all the rumored devices Apple could unveil. A last-minute rumor from 9to5Mac suggests that an iPad Air 5 will launch at the event with an M1 chip. That’s the same powerful processor found in Apple’s newest Macs and in the 2021 iPad Pro. The rumor says a new iPad Pro could arrive later in 2022.
Apple updates its tablets twice a year, or at least that’s how it’s worked over the past couple of years. The iPad Pro arrived in the spring, while the basic iPad, iPad Mini and iPad Air updates arrived in the fall. That cycle could shift again this year — it’s always hard to tell with Apple. Until we know for sure, here are some guidelines for choosing between the current iPads.
The 2021 iPad Mini (left) already has a lot of the design of the 2020 iPad Air (right). But the Air might get some of the Mini’s features.
Scott Stein/CNETiPad Air: Like a larger iPad Mini?
The latest rumor from 9to5Mac says Apple will outfit the new iPad Air with not only the M1 chip, but also with 5G support like the Pro and Mini — although keep in mind that the Pro’s 5G bands were more extensive than the Mini’s.
The Air should also get the one feature it now lacks compared with all other 2021 iPads: the autozooming, wider-angle front-facing Center Stage camera. This is corroborated by the 9to5Mac rumor. But that also means the Air could basically end up being a larger version of last year’s iPad Mini, just released half a year later. If the price ends up being a lot more reasonable than the iPad Pro, it could end up being the go-to pick for a lot of people.
Both iPad Pro models might get Mini LED displays this year, along with faster processors and… maybe MagSafe?
Scott Stein/CNETiPad Pro: More Mini LED, and possibly MagSafe
A new iPad Pro should arrive in the spring, if the pattern from 2020 and 2021 holds up. The previous iPad Pro before that, which added Face ID and USB-C, arrived in the fall of 2018.
Some rumors point to the Pro tablets adding MagSafe, which has popped up in Apple’s recent MacBook Pros, iMacs and iPhones. The one weird thing about MagSafe so far is that every instance has involved a different type of charger. Would Apple make the iPad Pro MagSafe another unique accessory yet again, separate from the iPhone and MacBook versions? That would be… annoying.
But it might not even happen. While a 2021 report from seasoned Apple watcher Mark Gurman at Bloomberg pointed to a glass-backed iPad Pro for MagSafe charging, recently it’s been suggested that maybe the tech won’t arrive this year after all. Leaker @Dylandkt on Twitter also suggests the new iPad Pro may not offer MagSafe charging. Personally, I don’t care much. iPads tend to have strong battery life, and charging with USB-C isn’t a big deal. iPads can already charge up a bit through cases that use Smart Connector ports, although Smart Connector-compatible accessories remain few and far between. Maybe a return of MagSafe branding would mean an expansion of accessories to address the Smart Connector’s shortcomings, though.
The 12.9-inch 2021 iPad Pro was the only model to have a step-up Mini LED display, similar to the recent MacBook Pros, offering deeper blacks and more dynamic contrast. The 11-inch model this year might finally get Mini LED, too.
When it comes to screen size, a larger display for the iPad Pro may still be a few years away. A report from MacRumors suggests that two of Apple’s suppliers are preparing OLED displays in larger sizes (up to 15-inches) for future iPad models. However, these bigger Pro tablets aren’t expected to arrive until 2023 or 2024.
What about a chip upgrade? I already feel like the M1 in the iPad Pro vastly outperforms the software; I’d rather see iPadOS evolve to support external monitors better, and add a lot more multitasking flexibility. However, if a new iPad Pro debuts alongside a new MacBook Air this spring, maybe they’d both share a new M2 chip. It’s unclear, though, when a reportedly redesigned new MacBook Air will arrive.
Finally, battery life: To me, iPads are fine. But the iPad Pro’s more power-intensive nature, and its keyboard cases, could mean a useful battery upgrade is in the works. The MacBook Air now outperforms the iPad in battery performance, and maybe in 2022 the iPad Pro could catch up.
I still find my face looks off-center on iPad video calls. It’s the camera placement, although Center Stage helps a bit.
Scott Stein/CNETWill iPads finally fix the camera placement, though?
My biggest iPad request, besides revamping the OS much more to make it a better Mac alternative, is fixing the front camera placement. Zoom meetings on iPads in landscape mode (which is how they mostly orient themselves if you use any sort of keyboard case) have their camera off to the side. While Apple’s zoom-in Center Stage camera tech helps a bit, it doesn’t address eye contact issues: I usually look like I’m staring off into space during my iPad Zooms. I’d love a camera switch to the longer edge, but who knows if that’s in the cards this year.
For more about what we expect from Apple in 2022, take a look at CNET’s iPhone SE 3, iPhone 14 and Mac Pro rumor roundups.
