iPad Pro With Thunderbolt and Mini-LED Display Coming 'As Early As April'

Apple will introduce new iPads as early as April, according to a new report shared today by Bloomberg. The April date comes following incorrect rumors that Apple planned to hold an event on March 23.

iPad Pro Mini LED yellow
Apple will refresh its iPad Pro lineup, introducing new models that "look similar to the current iPad Pros" in the same 11 and 12.9-inch screen sizes. The two iPads are expected to feature an updated A14X processor that's "on par" with the M1 chip in the MacBook Air, MacBook Pro, and Mac mini, along with better cameras.

A mini-LED display will be included with "at least" the larger 12.9-inch ‌iPad Pro‌, with the display upgrade bringing improved brightness and contrast ratios. This is in line with many rumors that we've heard previously, and most of the information suggests the upgraded display technology will be limited to the 12.9-inch ‌iPad Pro‌.

Apple has tested ‌iPad‌ Pros with a Thunderbolt connector that would make them compatible with additional external monitors, hard drives, and peripherals, plus it brings faster data syncing speeds. Apple's Mac machines have featured Thunderbolt technology for years now, but current ‌iPad Pro‌ and iPad Air models have standard USB-C ports.

Later this year, Apple plans to refresh its cheapest ‌iPad‌, and Apple is also working on a new version of the iPad mini with a larger display.

There was a lot of chatter suggesting Apple would hold a March event to introduce new ‌iPad‌ models, AirPods 3, and perhaps AirTags, but those rumors were never confirmed by a reliable source like Bloomberg or Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo. With ‌iPad Pro‌ models launching in April and the AirPods 3 now set for the third-quarter of 2021 based on rumors from earlier this week, it looks like there will be no March announcement.

Related Roundups: iPad, iPad Pro, iPad mini
Related Forum: iPad

Popular Stories

iPhone SE 4 Thumb 1

iPhone SE 4 With Apple's Own 5G Modem 'Confirmed' to Launch in March

Tuesday November 19, 2024 12:12 pm PST by
Barclays analyst Tom O'Malley and his colleagues recently traveled to Asia to meet with various electronics manufacturers and suppliers. In a research note this week, outlining key takeaways from the trip, the analysts said they have "confirmed" that a fourth-generation iPhone SE with an Apple-designed 5G modem is slated to launch towards the end of the first quarter next year. In line with previo...
airtag purple

AirTag 2 Rumored to Launch Next Year With These New Features

Sunday November 17, 2024 5:18 am PST by
Apple released the AirTag in April 2021, so it is now three over and a half years old. While the AirTag has not received any hardware updates since then, a new version of the item tracking accessory is rumored to be in development. Below, we recap rumors about a second-generation AirTag. Timing Apple is aiming to release a new AirTag in mid-2025, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman....
Magic Mouse Next to Keyboard

No, Apple CEO Tim Cook Didn't Say He Prefers Logitech's MX Master 3 Over the Magic Mouse

Sunday November 17, 2024 3:03 pm PST by
While the Logitech MX Master 3 is a terrific mouse for the Mac, reports claiming that Apple CEO Tim Cook prefers that mouse over the Magic Mouse are false. The Wall Street Journal last month published an interview with Cook, in which he said he uses every Apple product every day. Soon after, The Verge's Wes Davis attempted to replicate using every Apple product in a single day. During that...
Generic iOS 18 Feature Real Mock

Apple Releases iOS 18.1.1 and iPadOS 18.1.1 With Security Fixes

Tuesday November 19, 2024 10:10 am PST by
Apple today released iOS 18.1.1 and iPadOS 18.1.1, minor updates to the iOS 18 and iPadOS 18 operating systems that debuted earlier in September. iOS 18.1.1 and iPadOS 18.1.1 come three weeks after the launch of iOS 18.1. The new software can be downloaded on eligible iPhones and iPads over-the-air by going to Settings > General > Software Update. Apple has also released iOS 17.7.2 for...
at t turbo indicator iphone 16 pro max v0 8hrh7w5f3w1e1

AT&T Turbo Indicator Showing Up in iPhone Status Bar for Subscribers

Wednesday November 20, 2024 3:42 am PST by
AT&T has begun displaying "Turbo" in the iPhone carrier label for customers subscribed to its premium network prioritization service, according to reports on Reddit. The new indicator seems to have started appearing after users updated to iOS 18.1.1, but that could be just coincidence. Image credit: Reddit user No_Highlight7476 The Turbo feature provides enhanced network performance through ...
iPhone 17 Slim Feature Single Camera 1 Redux

'iPhone 17 Air' Rumored to Surpass iPhone 6 as Thinnest iPhone Ever

Monday November 18, 2024 1:07 pm PST by
In a research note with Hong Kong-based investment bank Haitong today, obtained by MacRumors, Apple analyst Jeff Pu said he agrees with a recent rumor claiming that the so-called "iPhone 17 Air" will be around 6mm thick. "We agreed with the recent chatter of an 6mm thickness ultra-slim design of the iPhone 17 Slim model," he wrote. If that measurement proves to be accurate, there would be ...
bug security vulnerability issue fix larry

Make Sure to Update: iOS 18.1.1 and macOS Sequoia 15.1.1 Fix Actively Exploited Vulnerabilities

Tuesday November 19, 2024 10:52 am PST by
The iOS 18.1.1, iPadOS 18.1.1, and macOS Sequoia 15.1.1 updates that Apple released today address JavaScriptCore and WebKit vulnerabilities that Apple says have been actively exploited on some devices. With the JavaScriptCore vulnerability, processing maliciously crafted web content could lead to arbitrary code execution. The WebKit vulnerability had the same issue with maliciously crafted...

Top Rated Comments

TheYayAreaLiving ?️ Avatar
48 months ago
1st week of April? Who's ready to order one?
Score: 23 Votes (Like | Disagree)
James Godfrey Avatar
48 months ago
Right so Mark Gurman first says there won’t end up being a March 16th event, and clarified that he only meant an event on March 16th... but did not discount March entirely....

So I am thinking just like last year when an event was rumoured and it ended up just being an invite to an event, we are seeing history repeating itself...

23rd March - Invites
30th March - Event
2nd April - iPad Pro Starts Shipping
Score: 17 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Mr.Simple Avatar
48 months ago
Please also mini LED Display for the 11 Pro. I think the 12.9 Pro will be to big for me.
Score: 15 Votes (Like | Disagree)
sully54 Avatar
48 months ago
I love the mad scramble over the last couple of weeks to narrow down an event date in March, and then when yesterday came and went, everyone is now talking about April like that's what they meant all along.
Score: 14 Votes (Like | Disagree)
reallynotnick Avatar
48 months ago

Apple's Mac machines have included Thunderbolt ports since 2016
*Thunderbolt ports with a USB-C connector (thunderbolt goes way further back than 2016 with the miniDP type connector)
Score: 14 Votes (Like | Disagree)
WiseAJ Avatar
48 months ago

And iPhone still cant get standard USB-C.
And it never will
Score: 12 Votes (Like | Disagree)