Apple is expected to announce new iPad Pros very soon. And I am proud to announce that in 2024, I will buy it and abandon my current model, an iPad Pro which is now six years old.
Yes, folks, I’m one of those people who’s been using the 2018 iPad Pro – the first-ever iPad with USB-C and Face ID – since its release. And guess what? It still works perfectly well. Sure, it tends to hiccup from time to time, and my unit only has 64GB of storage (which is by far my biggest problem with it). I type articles, sign documents, watch Netflix, and sometimes even edit photos in Lightroom.
That said, I am a fan of new technologies. And it looks like this year’s iPad Pros are going to be really great, so I’m planning to buy one. Of course, they haven’t officially arrived yet, which has me wondering about what improvements they’ll offer and making my own wish list. Here are the seven things I would most like to see.
1. Brighter OLED displays
This is the biggest rumor: two new iPad Pros with OLED screens. Almost all leaks indicate that Apple will switch to OLED for the iPad Pro’s screen, ditching the aging LCDs of yesteryear and mini-LED panel on the larger 12.9-inch model.
I’ve been waiting for this change for years. I like the quality of Apple’s LCD displays (especially when it comes to color accuracy), but OLED is far superior in terms of contrast, black levels, and vibrancy. Every time I pick up my current iPad, I wish it was OLED, so hopefully that wish will be granted with the new models.
I would also like the brightness to be improved. The current iPad Pro caps at 600 nits in normal use and up to 1,600 nits when viewing HDR content (but only in certain areas). I would like the next version of the tablets to achieve around 1000 or 1500 nits in normal use and over 2000 nits when watching HDR content. The iPhone can do it, so why not the iPad, right?
2. Longer battery life
The current line of iPad Pros offer 10 to 12 hours of battery life per charge, which is decent if you don’t use your tablet for work. If you’re like me and spend five hours checking Google Docs, Slack, and Spotify, you might only have two hours before you need to recharge your tablet.
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In future iPad Pros, I would like Apple to increase the battery size or optimize the system to significantly improve battery life.
I wish my iPad lasted almost as long as my MacBook Pro, which regularly gets me through a full day of work. If so, taking my iPad Pro on a trip to get all my work done will be a dream come true.
3. More storage
As more people start using the iPad Pro as their primary computer, it would be nice if Apple increased the amount of base storage you get.
Don’t get me wrong, 128GB is probably enough for some people, but this is a “pro” tablet and 128GB isn’t very “pro”, or at least not enough for your main computer.
Double that to 256GB and we can talk. Not only will you have enough room for all your apps and files, but it also means you won’t have to pay an arm and a leg more for a higher tier of storage.
4. A repositioned webcam
With the 10th generation iPad from 2022, Apple finally listened to its customers and moved the webcam to where it should be: on top, horizontally. So, when the iPad is placed sideways on a keyboard, the webcam is centered at the top and no longer on the left side.
For some reason, Apple hasn’t yet introduced this change to the iPad Pro, which doesn’t make sense since the majority of iPad Pro users probably use their tablet on its side all day.
I’ve heard rumors that Apple might move the webcam to the right side on the next iPad Pro, but in case that’s not the case and they still have time to make a last minute change, consider this as a call to Apple to move it to the right side. We will all be grateful to you.
5. A better Magic Keyboard
When the original Magic Keyboard came out in 2020, I was among the first to pre-order it. After all, this was the first time Apple had offered a keyboard for the iPad that I really liked: it didn’t have an awkward folding design, the keys felt nice to type on, and it even had a trackpad.
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Although pricey, the Magic Keyboard is a solid accessory for your iPad. But it poses some problems for me. The iPad’s positioning angles are very limited, which can make for an uncomfortable viewing experience. You also don’t get a row of function keys, which would be handy these days, given how robust iPadOS is. Finally, the thickness and weight of the iPad are very significant, which you will especially feel if you own the 12.9-inch model.
For the next iPad Pro, I’d like Apple to redesign the Magic Keyboard in a way that my issues with it go away and it retains the same features that made it such a great accessory in the first place. Oh, what if the next version could not being covered in silicone would be great too.
6. “Midnight”
A “Midnight” iPad Pro would be much cooler than the current “Space Gray” model, which is more of a dark gray than anything else.
With the Midnight version of the MacBook Air, you get a deep, dark finish with a slightly blue tone that only shows up in proper lighting.
If this color was brought to the iPad Pro I would lose my mind. Granted, Apple probably won’t add this color to its lineup, as it’s not considered a “pro” color, but we can always dream.
7. A second USB-C port
Speaking of dreams, I would love to have a second USB-C port on my next iPad Pro. Yes, I realize that will never happen since it’s Apple we’re talking about, but I think it would still be awesome. You could connect more accessories to your iPad, access files from a USB drive during that you charge it without having to buy an adapter, swap your charging cable to the other side if you’re sitting on a couch near the armrest (assuming the ports are on opposite sides), and more.
If you’re using the , you technically have two USB-C ports since there’s one included for passthrough charging, but I want two decent Thunderbolt ports instead. If Apple did it, we could really take advantage of the power of the iPad Pro.
Stay tuned to ZDNET over the next couple of weeks – rumor has it that the next iPad Pros could be released at any time, and we’ll be working to cover them the second they arrive.
Source: “ZDNet.com”