New iPad Pro Supports Wi-Fi 6, New MacBook Air Still Has 720p Webcam, and Other Tidbits

Apple announced new iPad Pro and MacBook Air models today. We've compiled some smaller tidbits about each device below.

As with iPhone 11 models, the new iPad Pro supports Wi-Fi 6, aka 802.11ax. The newer standard delivers faster speeds, greater network capacity, improved power efficiency, lower latency, and connectivity improvements in areas with several Wi-Fi devices. Wi-Fi 6 devices must support WPA3, a Wi-Fi security protocol with improved cryptographic strength.

2020 ipad pro 2020 macbook air
By comparison, the new MacBook Air still supports Wi-Fi 5, aka 802.11ac, and it also continues to have a lackluster 720p front-facing camera.

While the new MacBook Air has a lower $999 starting price, the notebook is even cheaper for those who qualify for an educational discount, with the base model starting at $899 for students and their parents, faculty, and even homeschool teachers of all grade levels, which is particularly interesting with many schools closed amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

MacRumors contributor Steve Moser has discovered glyphs in iPadOS 13.4 GM code that suggest users will be able to view the battery life of their Magic Mouse, Magic Trackpad, and other Bluetooth mice in the batteries widget of the Today view on the iPad, accessible by swiping right on the first page of the home screen. Apple announced that iPadOS 13.4 will gain trackpad support, with the software update to be released March 24.

As noted by Parker Ortolani on Twitter, one small change is that the Apple logo on the upcoming Magic Keyboard case for the iPad Pro is now horizontally positioned so that the logo appears upright when the iPad is used in landscape orientation.


Apple's new iPad Pro models now start with 128GB of storage, up from 64GB, and all higher storage tiers are now $50 cheaper. For example, an 11-inch iPad Pro with 256GB of storage and Wi-Fi only is now $899, whereas the equivalent 2018 model was $949. This price cut applies to all 256GB, 512GB, and 1TB storage tiers for the new 11-inch and 12.9-inch iPad Pro.

Apple says the new LiDAR Scanner on the latest iPad Pro models improves the Measure app, making it faster and easier to automatically calculate someone's height, while helpful vertical and edge guides automatically appear to let users more quickly and accurately measure objects. The app is also gaining a Ruler View for more granular measurements.

A few tidbits we noted earlier include the upcoming Magic Keyboard for iPad Pro offering pass-through USB-C charging for accessories, and the new MacBook Air supporting up to a 6K external display, including Apple's Pro Display XDR.

Related Roundups: iPad Pro, MacBook Air
Related Forum: MacBook Air

Popular Stories

iPhone 17 Pro 34ths Perspective

iPhone 17 Pro Launching Later This Year With These 10 New Features

Sunday March 23, 2025 10:00 am PDT by
While the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max are not expected to launch until September, there are already plenty of rumors about the devices. Below, we recap key changes rumored for the iPhone 17 Pro models as of March 2025: Aluminum frame: iPhone 17 Pro models are rumored to have an aluminum frame, whereas the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro models have a titanium frame, and the iPhone ...
macbook pro blue green

When Will Apple Release the M5 MacBook Pro?

Wednesday March 26, 2025 4:53 pm PDT by
Apple regularly refreshes the MacBook Pro models, and a new version that uses M5 series chips is in the works. Apple just finished refreshing most of the Mac lineup with M4 chips, and now it's time for the M5. Rumors suggest that we could see the first M5 MacBook Pro models this fall. Design There have been no rumors of a design update for the M5 MacBook Pro models that are coming this...
iOS 18

iOS 18.4 Expected Next Week - Here Are the Release Notes

Friday March 28, 2025 2:01 pm PDT by
With the second release candidate of iOS 18.4 that Apple seeded out today, the company finally provided us with release notes that give a full rundown on what to expect. There's an Apple Vision Pro app, new Apple Intelligence features for notifications and additional language support, plus an Apple News Food feature for Apple News+ subscribers, and several updates that should improve the...
Facebook Feature

Facebook's New iPhone App Feature Turns the Clock Back to 2007

Thursday March 27, 2025 1:59 pm PDT by
In the mid-to-late 2000s, Facebook was all about staying connected with friends and family. However, as the social media platform added new features and grew over time, that core experience began to get drowned out. That changes starting now, according to Meta, which today introduced a new feature that will "bring back the joy" of classic Facebook. Specifically, Meta has redesigned the...
iOS 18 4 Ambient Music Control Center

How to Use iOS 18.4's New Ambient Music Feature in Control Center

Thursday March 27, 2025 7:45 am PDT by
The upcoming iOS 18.4 update for the iPhone adds an Ambient Music feature to Control Center. Below, we take a closer look at how it works. iOS 18.4 is currently in beta, so the Ambient Music feature is not widely available yet. The update will likely be released to the general public next week. To use the feature on iOS 18.4, open Control Center and tap on the plus sign in the top-left...
Foldable iPhone 2023 Feature 1

'iPhone Fold' to Feature Metallic Glass Hinge That Resists Deformation

Thursday March 27, 2025 4:21 am PDT by
Last week, we covered a report claiming that Apple's book-style foldable iPhone (or "iPhone Fold," as we are provisionally calling it here) will use liquid metal hinges to improve durability and help minimize screen creasing. Today, a Chinese leaker provided more details on the properties of this hinge material that help to clarify why Apple chose it for its first foldable device. According...
Magic Mouse Green

What to Expect From the Magic Mouse 3

Saturday March 29, 2025 10:15 am PDT by
Apple is reportedly working on a new Magic Mouse. Below, we recap what to expect. The two key rumors for the Magic Mouse 3 so far include a relocated charging port, along with a more ergonomic design. It was briefly rumored that the Magic Mouse 3 would also feature voice control, but that was misinterpreted information. Relocated Charging Port While the Magic Mouse switched from...
Foldable iPhone 2023 Feature Homescreen

Six Things to Know About Apple's Upcoming Foldable iPhone

Friday March 28, 2025 3:54 pm PDT by
We've been hearing rumors about a foldable iPhone for almost a decade now, but it looks like we might finally see the device come to fruition in 2026. We're going to be waiting many more months for the foldable iPhone, but so far we're hearing good things. Apple wants to make it creaseless. It's taken Apple multiple years to design a foldable iPhone that it's satisfied with because Apple ...
Apple Lumon Terminal Pro

Apple's Mac Site Features Fictional 'Lumon Terminal Pro'

Wednesday March 26, 2025 12:19 pm PDT by
Apple is going all out with promotions for the popular Severance Apple TV+ show today, and as of right now, you'll find a new "Lumon Terminal Pro" listed on Apple's Mac site. The Lumon Terminal Pro is designed to look similar to the machines that Severance employees like Mark S. and Helly R. use for macrodata refinement. The Terminal features a blue keyboard, a small display with wide...

Top Rated Comments

AMTYVLE Avatar
66 months ago

Can anybody explain at a technical level why the MacBook Air doesn't have Wi-Fi 6? It is integrated in the 10th gen Intel ecosystem, right?
...or why both MacBook models, especially the Pro still has a 720p webcam in the year 2020?
Score: 13 Votes (Like | Disagree)
munpip214 Avatar
66 months ago

Can anybody explain at a technical level why the MacBook Air doesn't have Wi-Fi 6? It is integrated in the 10th gen Intel ecosystem, right?
10th gen Intel Icelake does support it but it requires using a special RF module on the platform which Apple probably didn't see the need to include for a bottom-of-the-line laptop to save on costs.
https://www.anandtech.com/show/14514/examining-intels-ice-lake-microarchitecture-and-sunny-cove/9
Score: 12 Votes (Like | Disagree)
mannyvel Avatar
66 months ago
It's crazy that Apple didn't want to blow another .15 and make the front-facing camera 1080p. I mean, it's 2020.
Score: 11 Votes (Like | Disagree)
BenLeong Avatar
66 months ago
How is it that no one with journalistic or even consumer level access to Apple reps has gotten an official explanation from them yet as to why they continue to get away with putting extremely dated 720p camera tech into their computers? It’s flat out embarrassing—especially in an age where so many people video conference for work.
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)
MakeAppleAwesomeAgain Avatar
66 months ago
Can anybody explain at a technical level why the MacBook Air doesn't have Wi-Fi 6? It is integrated in the 10th gen Intel ecosystem, right?
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
jonnysods Avatar
66 months ago
What is with the FaceTime cameras in the laptop lineup. My 2019 MBP is pitiful and embarrassing to use for work calls.
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)