Apple refreshed the iPad Air at its “Peek Performance” event earlier this month, trading the tablet’s A-series processor for an M1 chip. With the iPad Air matching the Pro’s performance, purchasing the more expensive model seemed like a waste of money. Apple could soon give us a reason to buy it in the form of even faster performance, though.
The tech giant is reportedly planning to release a new iPad Pro with an M2 chip between September and November, according to Mark Gurman’s Power On newsletter. If these details are accurate, the iPad Pro is months away from getting its biggest update since its 2018 redesign.
A direct successor to the chip powering the MacBook Air, MacBook Pro 13, and Apple’s more premium tablets, the rumoured M2 processor is said to have the same 8-core CPU as the M1 but with greater efficiency due to TSMC’s 4-nanometre processor. It should also deliver slightly better graphics performance with 9- and 10-core CPU options, up from the current 7- and 8-core versions of the M1.
Gurman expects the M2 processor to find its way into the MacBook Pro 13, Mac mini, and 24-inch iMac later this year. It may also power the next MacBook Air 13, though another notable Apple analyst, Ming-Chi Kuo, believes the entry-level laptop will retain its M1 processor.
Looking beyond performance, the iPad Pro will also reportedly adopt MagSafe charging. This rumour has been tossed around over the last year or so, though last we heard, Apple was considering scrapping the idea. 9to5Mac reported that the company was “uncertain” about using a fragile material like glass on the rear of the iPad Pro to enable wireless charging.
Gurman previously predicted that the company was planning its “wildest array of new hardware products in its history” for later this year.