Credit: Apple / IDG
If you haven’t paid attention to the rumors, a new iPad Pro may be just weeks away. While it may not get a new design, Apple could make a number of important changes, including a small LED display for OLED – like colors and power efficiency, better cameras, and 5G support. But perhaps the processor is the real reason for a spring to refresh.
Of course, it’s no surprise that the iPad Pro responds to a faster processor. Even though it’s been less than 12 months since it was updated, the iPad Pro is only the second fastest tablet Apple makes behind the iPad Air. That puts the iPad Pro in a weird position of being slower and more expensive. A new processor will properly position the iPad Pro at the top of the tablet class.
However, while we expected the iPad Pro to get an A14X or Z like the old iPads, a new report suggests that Apple ‘s high-end tablet could get an even bigger speed bump. According to Mark Gurman of Bloomberg, the processor inside the upcoming iPad Pro will deliver “equivalent to the M1 chip in the latest Macs,” meaning it will be a quick fix .
While desk speed on a lightweight tablet is awesome, it’s also a bit of an overuse. Any iPad Pro user will tell you that it is fast enough, and even iPads from several years ago can run the latest apps and operating system without any problem. Why would Apple feel the need to update the processor beyond what the A14X would be able to do? Here are five reasons.
We are finally getting Apple pro apps
For all that the iPad Pro can do, there’s still a big hole when it comes to pro-level apps, especially the ones that Apple does. Specifically, Xcode is not available for iPadOS, meaning Mac developers need to develop iPad apps.
As of right now, Xcode uses a lot more resources and processor power than any iPad can deliver. But with an M1-caliber processor on board, Apple may be able to bring the developer platform to the iPad, a move that would immediately increase the capabilities of the tablet.
A better multitasking system is on the way
To put it bluntly, the iPad’s multitasking system isn’t good. Navigation is confusing and tedious, gestures and tapes are unobtrusive, and the whole system makes it less easy to operate in more than one app at a time.
Michael Simon / IDGMultitasking on the iPad Pro is nowhere near as effortless as it is on the Mac.
A new chip will not solve these issues without rethinking the whole concept, but it will allow Apple to think about multitasking in more powerful ways. With more power and resources at hand, the iPad Pro could be more like a Mac in its navigation and multitasking mode to take advantage of the larger screen and friendly interface.
Battery life lasts longer than 10 hours
It’s hard to believe, but ever since the advent of the original iPad, Apple’s tablets have been rated for “up to 10 hours of surfing the web over Wi-Fi or watching video.” But an M1-caliber chip could push up to 15 or even 20 hours, which would put it on par with the latest MacBooks and iPhone 12 Pro.
Mac apps are coming to the iPad
With the launch of Big Sur and the M1 chip, Apple kicked Catalyst into high gear with an advanced interface and native resolution on the Mac so that iPad apps don’t feel like they were made for a mobile device.
Leif Johnson / IDGWith a trackpad now, the iPad Pro could easily run Mac apps.
With an M1-caliber chip, Catalyst could operate both ways. The iPad’s screen is well-suited for Mac apps, and with a desktop-quality processor, app developers wouldn’t need to worry about performance and memory issues. So instead of thinking back and bringing mobile mind apps to a much more powerful device, Mac developers were able to reach a whole new audience and open up new ways to make the apps use and interact with them.
There is a hybrid machine in the works
Apple is always a few steps ahead of what we can afford, so a more powerful chip in the iPad Pro could be a preview of what’s to come. It just makes sense that a hybrid machine makes its debut, combining the two best worlds: speed, flexibility, portability. A processor similar to M1 in the iPad would take a look at one of the most important boxes and give Apple a platform to create a device that doesn’t have to cut corners or compromise.
