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

Generic iOS 18

iOS 18.1 With Apple Intelligence: New Features, Release Date, and More

Thursday October 10, 2024 8:26 am PDT by
iOS 18.1 will be released to the public in the coming weeks, and the software update introduces the first Apple Intelligence features for the iPhone. Below, we outline when to expect iOS 18.1 to be released. iOS 18.1: Apple Intelligence Features Here are some of the key Apple Intelligence features in the iOS 18.1 beta so far: A few Siri enhancements, including improved understanding...
iPhone 17 Slim Feature Single Camera 2

10 Reasons to Wait for Next Year's iPhone 17

Tuesday October 8, 2024 5:45 am PDT by
Apple's iPhone development roadmap runs several years into the future and the company is continually working with suppliers on several successive iPhone models simultaneously, which is why we sometimes get rumored feature leaks so far ahead of launch. The iPhone 17 series is no different – already we have some idea of what to expect from Apple's 2025 smartphone lineup. If you plan to skip...
space black mbp

Apple Potentially Facing Worst Leak Since iPhone 4 Was Left in a Bar

Monday October 7, 2024 3:03 pm PDT by
Alleged photos and videos of an unannounced 14-inch MacBook Pro with an M4 chip continue to surface on social media, in what could be the worst product leak for Apple since an employee accidentally left an iPhone 4 prototype at a bar in California in 2010. The latest video of what could be a next-generation MacBook Pro was shared on YouTube Shorts today by Russian channel Romancev768, just...
iPad mini review thumb

iPad Mini 7 Coming Next Month: What to Expect

Tuesday October 8, 2024 6:16 am PDT by
Rumors strongly suggest Apple will release the seventh-generation iPad mini in November, nearly three years after the last refresh. Here's a roundup of what we're expecting from the next version of Apple's small form factor tablet, based on the latest rumors and reports. Design and Display The new iPad mini is likely to retain its compact 8.3-inch display and overall design introduced with...
apple tv 4k yellow bg feature

Waiting for a New Apple TV? Here's What the Latest Rumors Say

Tuesday October 8, 2024 8:57 am PDT by
The current Apple TV was released two years ago this month, so you may be wondering when the next model will be released. Below, we recap rumors about a next-generation Apple TV. In January 2023, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman reported that a new Apple TV was planned for release in the first half of 2024:Beyond the future smart displays and new speaker, Apple is working on revamping its TV box....
When Will Apple Launch More M4 Macs Feature

Will Apple Release M4 Macs Soon? Here's What the Latest Rumors Say

Thursday October 10, 2024 6:22 am PDT by
Apple often releases new Macs in the fall, but we are still waiting for official confirmation that the company has similar plans this year. We're approaching the middle of October now, and if Apple plans to announce new Macs before the holidays, recent history suggests it will happen this month. Here's what we know so far. As of writing this, it's been 220 days since Apple released a new...

Top Rated Comments

TheYayAreaLiving ?️ Avatar
47 months ago
1st week of April? Who's ready to order one?
Score: 23 Votes (Like | Disagree)
James Godfrey Avatar
47 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
47 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
47 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
47 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
47 months ago

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