7 expectations for the best iPad of the year
The new iPad Pro is coming, but what’s new from last year? We list our seven iPad Pro 2021 expectations.
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iPad Pro 2021 expectations: the rumors mapped
The iPad Pro 2021 promises to be an interim upgrade, but the rumors show a number of nice improvements. Although Apple has not yet officially unveiled the tablet.
1. Unchanged design
The iPad Pro was given a new design in 2018, but in 2021 it is not yet time to change this. The iPad Pro ushered in a new era in Apple product design, which the iPhone 12 only switched to last year. The MacBook Pro would also follow this year with a new design, using harder and flatter edges. So don’t count on the iPad Pro 2021 looking different.
The only change in appearance would be that the tablet becomes slightly smaller and thicker. This would indicate that the iPad gets a larger battery and therefore lasts longer.
2. The same camera
The big improvement of the iPad Pro 2020 was the new dual camera lens with a LiDAR scanner. With this scanner, the iPad can create a 3D map of your environment and thus make augmented reality apps work much better.
Last year, this turned out to be mainly an investment for the future: there are still not many apps that actually use the scanner. That’s why we expect Apple to leave the 2021 model’s camera unchanged, especially since it’s still miles ahead of the competition right now.
3. Switch to mini LED
This year’s big improvement will most likely be the iPad Pro 2021 screen. Unlike the iPhones, the iPad Pro still has an LCD display. This year it will be different when the tablet switches to mini-LED, a new screen technology that can show better images with a higher contrast. In addition, mini-LED is cheaper to produce and the panels have a longer lifespan.
4. New Apple Pencil?
A week ago, the striking rumor surfaced that Apple would be working on a new Apple Pencil. The Pencil hasn’t been updated since 2018, but it’s not clear what improvements the company would like to make. A leaked photo would show the new Pencil, which shows a design that resembles a mix between the glossy first generation Pencil and the second generation with a flat edge.
5.5G support
As the name suggests, the iPad Pro is Apple’s tablet for professional users. Now that 5G is slowly but surely also becoming the standard in the Netherlands, we expect the iPad Pro 2021 to be the first iPad that can connect to this network. The tablet thus follows the iPhone 12.
According to a rumor, the tablet would support the mmWave band: the faster variant of 5G that is unfortunately hardly available in the Netherlands. So it remains to be seen whether Apple chooses to release a different version of the iPad in Europe.
6. Available at the end of March
It seems that we will not have to wait very long for the new iPad Pro. Apple may organize a digital keynote where the tablet is announced on March 23, but it is also possible that the company will simply send out a press release at the end of March. In any case, there is a good chance that it will be in the shops in the Netherlands at the end of March or early April.
7. Same price as iPad Pro 2020
With few groundbreaking changes being made this year besides the mini LED display, we expect Apple to keep the price of the iPad Pro 2021 at the same level as last year. Again, two formats will appear with different storage capacity options. If the prices stay the same, it would mean the following:
11 inch iPad Pro 2021
- 128GB: 898.50 euros
- 256GB: 1,008.50 euros
- 512GB: 1228.50 euros
- 1TB: 1448.50 euros
12.9 inch iPad Pro 2021
- 128GB: 1118.50 euros
- 256GB: 1228.50 euros
- 512GB: 1,448.50 euros
- 1TB: 1668.50 euros
More about the iPad Pro 2021? Follow iPhoned
It won’t be long now until Apple officially unveils the new iPad Pro. As always, we keep a close eye on the news, so that you are the first to know when the new tablet is presented. You can stay informed about the iPad Pro 2021 via the iPhoned app, our newsletter or the website.
Also read: Apple in March 2021: 7 announcements to look forward to
