iPad Pro With A14X Chip, 5G, and Mini-LED Display Expected in First Half of 2021

Apple plans to launch new iPad Pro models with an A14X chip, 5G connectivity, and a Mini-LED display in the first or second quarter of 2021, according to the increasingly reliable Twitter account L0vetodream.

iPad Pro 5G and Mini LED feature
The leaker claims that the new iPad Pro models will be equipped with Qualcomm's Snapdragon X55 modem, which supports both mmWave and sub-6GHz. mmWave is a set of 5G frequencies that promise ultra-fast speeds at short distances, ideal for dense urban areas. By comparison, sub-6GHz 5G is generally slower than mmWave, but the signals travel further, better serving suburban and rural areas.



iPhone 12 models are also expected to use the X55 modem, but beyond that, Apple is reportedly developing its own 5G baseband technology for future devices. Apple acquired Intel's smartphone modem business last year to bolster that effort.

While multiple sources initially pointed towards a late 2020 refresh of the iPad Pro, including Ming-Chi Kuo and Jon Prosser, there have now been several reports indicating that the new A14X/5G/Mini-LED models are likely to debut in 2021. This would make sense given that Apple just refreshed the iPad Pro in March, and even though that was a relatively minor update, another refresh later this year would seem rather quick.

New features on the latest iPad Pro models include an A12Z Bionic chip that is very similar to the A12X chip, an Ultra Wide camera that enables 0.5x zoom, a LiDAR Scanner for enhanced augmented reality, and better sounding microphones.

L0vetodream accurately revealed several details about the new iPhone SE before any other leakers that we know of, including that the device would launch in the second week of April and come in three storage capacities. Likewise, the account accurately claimed that new iPad Pro models would launch in the third week of March.

Related Roundup: iPad Pro
Buyer's Guide: iPad Pro (Neutral)

Popular Stories

iPhone 17 Pro Render Front Page Tech

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. iPhone 17 Pro's alleged design via Front Page Tech 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...
iCloud General Feature Redux

iPhone Users Who Pay for iCloud Storage Receive a New Perk

Thursday March 20, 2025 12:01 am PDT by
If you pay for iCloud storage on your iPhone, Apple has a new perk for you, at no additional cost. The new perk is the ability to create invitations in the Apple Invites app for the iPhone, which launched in the App Store last month. In the Apple Invites app, iCloud+ subscribers can create invitations for any occasion, such as birthday parties, graduations, baby showers, and more. Anyone ...
iOS 18

Top 5 New Features Coming in iOS 18.4

Friday March 21, 2025 3:26 pm PDT by
We're not getting new Siri Apple Intelligence features in iOS 18.4 as expected, but the upcoming update does have quite a few new additions that will be worth upgrading for. We've rounded up the five best features to look forward to, and if you're not running the beta, you can expect to get access to these in early April. Priority Notifications If you have an iPhone or iPad that supports...
Generic iOS 19 Feature Mock

iOS 19 Coming in June With These New Features

Thursday March 20, 2025 2:04 pm PDT by
While the first iOS 19 beta is still more than two months away, there are already plenty of rumors about the upcoming software update. Below, we recap the key iOS 19 rumors so far. visionOS-Like Design In January, the YouTube channel Front Page Tech revealed a redesigned Camera app that is allegedly planned for iOS 19. According to Front Page Tech host Jon Prosser, the Camera app...
Generic iOS 18

Apple Seeds iOS 18.4 and iPadOS 18.4 Release Candidate With Priority Notifications, Ambient Music and More

Monday March 24, 2025 10:07 am PDT by
Apple today seeded the release candidate versions of upcoming iOS 18.4 and iPadOS 18.4 updates to developers for testing purposes, with the software coming a week after Apple released the fourth betas. iOS 18.4 and iPadOS 18.4 can be downloaded from the Settings app on a compatible device by going to General > Software Update. With iOS 18.4, Apple is adding the Priority Notifications...
airpods max 2024 colors

Don't Buy Into Apple's Hype About AirPods Max Gaining Lossless Audio

Monday March 24, 2025 4:24 pm PDT by
Apple today announced that AirPods Max with a USB-C port will be gaining support for lossless audio and ultra-low latency audio with a firmware update next month, alongside the release of iOS 18.4, iPadOS 18.4, and macOS 15.4. For context, audio files are typically compressed to keep file sizes smaller. There are lossy compression standards like MP3, and Apple's own Advanced Audio Codec...
Foldable iPhone 2023 Feature Iridescent Search

Foldable iPhone Expected to Launch Next Year, Costing Around $2,000

Monday March 24, 2025 3:43 am PDT by
Apple will launch its long-rumored foldable iPhone next year with a ~$2,000 premium price tag attached, expects well-connected Bloomberg reporter Mark Gurman. Gurman's comments on Apple's launch plans for its first foldable device appeared in the Q&A section of his latest Power On newsletter. Earlier this month, the reporter said Apple's foldable iPhone could be arriving "as early as 2026,"...
iOS 19 Rounded UI Elements Light

iOS 19: What to Expect From Apple's Dramatic Design Overhaul?

Monday March 24, 2025 9:47 am PDT by
Earlier this month, Bloomberg reported that Apple is planning "one of the most dramatic software overhauls in the company's history" – an update that aims to bring iOS, iPadOS, and macOS into closer visual alignment. The redesign is said to be "loosely based" on visionOS, the software behind Apple's Vision Pro headset, and will reportedly update the look of icons, menus, apps, windows, and...

Top Rated Comments

44267547 Avatar
63 months ago
Which basically debunks OLED Ever being a consideration for the iPad with mini LED being the next step forward. (Which is totally fine.) The 5G aspect doesn’t interest me, the performance and display improvements however does.
Score: 11 Votes (Like | Disagree)
jclardy Avatar
63 months ago

Which basically debunks OLED Ever being a consideration for the iPad with mini LED being the next step forward. (Which is totally fine.) The 5G aspect doesn’t interest me, the performance and display improvements however does.
Glad they didn't go OLED - the way I use my iPad would have made for some crazy burn-in. My screen time each day is 8-9 hours since I use it as a secondary display for my Mac, and other times just leave email/slack open on it with the display set to auto-off after 10 minutes.

I really don't see why anyone would want OLED on a tablet or laptop, sure the colors are great and the black levels are perfect, but for anything other than movies/tv, why does that matter?
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
BuffaloTF Avatar
63 months ago

They can’t even launch MiniLED for the tiny Apple Watch yet somehow they are already gonna include it in the iPad and maybe the MacBook?

I am still doubting it. Just look how long it took Apple to release an OLED iPhone which did not even make it on its whole line up yet
Mini LED and Micro LED are totally different things.

Micro LED isn't anywhere near ready for prime time. Mini LED exists today - it's a form of full-array local dimming, and uses smaller LED lights behind the screen to form lighting zones -- hundreds up to around a thousand for bigger TVs, an Apple Watch is so small there'd be like 4 zones. Micro LED is an LED behind every single LCD pixel and what is expected to replace OLED...
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Scottsoapbox Avatar
63 months ago
Still waiting for a software reason to update my older iPad Pro.
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
macfan90 Avatar
63 months ago
bump the ram, better graphics, slim the bezels
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
GeoStructural Avatar
63 months ago

This would be a big refresh. I'd probably jump in and retire my 5th gen iPad.

I'm really wondering what Apple will do when they manage to integrate the modem into their processors, will they dump the 2 versions (wifi vs. cellular) and make all iPads cellular enabled? Or will they have a software block to disable the modem on some models?
I would not be surprised if they disable it with software. I still don’t think it is worth paying extra $150 for the celular connectivity in the current line up.



bump the ram, better graphics, slim the bezels
Exactly! I could not care less for 5G, all I want is for the bezels to shrink, better CPU/GPU/RAM, and larger base storage options. I would like for them to bring back the headphone jack as well.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)