New iPad Pro Rumored to Have Matte Screen Option Like Studio Display's Nano-Texture Glass

Apple's next-generation iPad Pro models will be offered with a matte display option for the first time, according to the Weibo leaker known as "Instant Digital."

iPad Pro Matte Display Feature 1
The Weibo user explained that the ‌iPad Pro‌'s new matte display option will be offered in addition to the standard, glossy glass finish. It apparently features -4° to +29° of haze and may tout some kind of blue-light blocking technology to help protect the eyes. Matte screen protectors for the iPad have become popular, so it is possible that Apple is trying to offer such an option at the point of purchase for those who want it.

It is not known if the matte display option will be "nano-texture" glass like on the Pro Display XDR and Studio Display, but it seems plausible. Nano-texture glass is effectively a matte finish that scatters light to minimize glare, which is ideal in environments with bright light sources. While matte screen coatings effectively reduce reflections, they also make the image slightly more dull and hazy. Nano-texture glass features an etched surface to help preserve image quality.

Nano-texture glass has only been offered on desktop displays so far. It is harder to clean owing to its textured surface that grips oil and debris more tightly, and Apple cautions that it should only be cleaned with a polishing cloth made with soft, non-abrasive material. It is not clear how a matte display on the ‌iPad‌ would hold up to fingerprints as a result.

The matte display option may also be available on the next-generation iPad Air models, but the leaker could not confirm if this will be the case. They added that new ‌iPad‌ models will be announced next week.

Earlier this week, Instant Digital said that the iPhone 17 will feature an anti-reflective display that is more scratch-resistant than Apple's Ceramic Shield found on recent models. It is not apparent if this technology is related to the new matte display option for the ‌iPad‌, but it is a possibility.

Instant Digital has a mixed track record in terms of revealing accurate information about Apple's plans, but their claims are worth paying attention to. The source was first to report the iPhone 14's Yellow spring refresh in 2023, Spatial Video capture on the ‌iPhone‌ 15 Pro, and the Apple Watch Series 9's minor hardware update, as well as being the only source of the only rumor claiming that the ‌iPhone‌ 15 and ‌iPhone‌ 15 Plus would feature frosted back glass. However, they also made claims about several iOS 17 features and the release of a new iPad Air in October 2023 that did not pan out.

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

Popular Stories

iOS 26

15 New Things Your iPhone Can Do in iOS 26.2

Friday December 5, 2025 9:40 am PST by
Apple is about to release iOS 26.2, the second major point update for iPhones since iOS 26 was rolled out in September, and there are at least 15 notable changes and improvements worth checking out. We've rounded them up below. Apple is expected to roll out iOS 26.2 to compatible devices sometime between December 8 and December 16. When the update drops, you can check Apple's servers for the ...
ios 18 to ios 26 upgrade

Apple Pushes iPhone Users Still on iOS 18 to Upgrade to iOS 26

Tuesday December 2, 2025 11:09 am PST by
Apple is encouraging iPhone users who are still running iOS 18 to upgrade to iOS 26 by making the iOS 26 software upgrade option more prominent. Since iOS 26 launched in September, it has been displayed as an optional upgrade at the bottom of the Software Update interface in the Settings app. iOS 18 has been the default operating system option, and users running iOS 18 have seen iOS 18...
iOS 26

Apple Seeds iOS 26.2 and iPadOS 26.2 Release Candidates to Developers and Public Beta Testers

Wednesday December 3, 2025 10:33 am PST by
Apple today seeded the release candidate versions of upcoming iOS 26.2 and iPadOS 26.2 updates to developers and public beta testers, with the software coming two weeks after Apple seeded the third betas. The release candidates represent the final versions of iOS 26.2 and iPadOS 26.2 that will be provided to the public if no further bugs are found during this final week of testing....
Photos App Icon Liquid Glass

John Gruber Shares Scathing Commentary About Apple's Departing Software Design Chief

Thursday December 4, 2025 9:30 am PST by
In a statement shared with Bloomberg on Wednesday, Apple confirmed that its software design chief Alan Dye will be leaving. Apple said Dye will be succeeded by Stephen Lemay, who has been a software designer at the company since 1999. Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced that Dye will lead a new creative studio within the company's AR/VR division Reality Labs. On his blog Daring Fireball,...
iOS 26

When Will Apple Release iOS 26.2?

Monday December 1, 2025 4:37 pm PST by
We're getting closer to the launch of the final major iOS update of the year, with Apple set to release iOS 26.2 in December. We've had three betas so far and are expecting a fourth beta or a release candidate this week, so a launch could follow as soon as next week. Past Launch Dates Apple's past iOS x.2 updates from the last few years have all happened right around the middle of the...
maxresdefault

iPhone Fold: Launch, Pricing, and What to Expect From Apple's Foldable

Monday December 1, 2025 3:00 am PST by
Apple is expected to launch a new foldable iPhone next year, based on multiple rumors and credible sources. The long-awaited device has been rumored for years now, but signs increasingly suggest that 2026 could indeed be the year that Apple releases its first foldable device. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. Below, we've collated an updated set of key details that ...
Intel Inside iPhone Feature

Apple's Return to Intel Rumored to Extend to iPhone

Friday December 5, 2025 10:08 am PST by
Intel is expected to begin supplying some Mac and iPad chips in a few years, and the latest rumor claims the partnership might extend to the iPhone. In a research note with investment firm GF Securities this week, obtained by MacRumors, analyst Jeff Pu said he and his colleagues "now expect" Intel to reach a supply deal with Apple for at least some non-pro iPhone chips starting in 2028....
ive and altman

Jony Ive's OpenAI Device Barred From Using 'io' Name

Friday December 5, 2025 6:22 am PST by
A U.S. appeals court has upheld a temporary restraining order that prevents OpenAI and Jony Ive's new hardware venture from using the name "io" for products similar to those planned by AI audio startup iyO, Bloomberg Law reports. iyO sued OpenAI earlier this year after the latter announced its partnership with Ive's new firm, arguing that OpenAI's planned "io" branding was too close to its...
iphone air camera

iPhone Air's Resale Value Has Dropped Dramatically, Data Shows

Thursday December 4, 2025 5:27 am PST by
The iPhone Air has recorded the steepest early resale value drop of any iPhone model in years, with new data showing that several configurations have lost almost 50% of their value within ten weeks of launch. According to a ten-week analysis published by SellCell, Apple's latest lineup is showing a pronounced split in resale performance between the iPhone 17 models and the iPhone Air....
iPhone 17 Pro Cosmic Orange

iPhone 17 Pro Lost a Camera Feature Pro Models Have Had Since 2020

Thursday December 4, 2025 5:18 am PST by
iPhone 17 Pro models, it turns out, can't take photos in Night mode when Portrait mode is selected in the Camera app – a capability that's been available on Apple's Pro devices since the iPhone 12 Pro in 2020. If you're an iPhone 17 Pro or iPhone 17 Pro Max owner, try it for yourself: Open the Camera app with Photo selected in the carousel, then cover the rear lenses with your hand to...

Top Rated Comments

neilw Avatar
22 months ago
Clearly Apple is just trying to juice sales of their cleaning cloth.
Score: 24 Votes (Like | Disagree)
nortonandreev Avatar
22 months ago
The wait is torturous.
Score: 18 Votes (Like | Disagree)
javisan Avatar
22 months ago
I don't and will not care at all about any iPad hardware rumors or actual product releases until iPad OS is vastly enhanced. If people find it sufficient, great; for me, it continues to be a heavily crippled OS.
Score: 14 Votes (Like | Disagree)
falkon-engine Avatar
22 months ago

I don't and will not care at all about any iPad hardware rumors or actual product releases until iPad OS is vastly enhanced. If people find it sufficient, great; for me, it continues to be a heavily crippled OS.
This is a top tier comment. I mean I like my m2 but it is so clunky sometimes to use. Apple needs to bite the bullet and just let users run macOS or macOS lite. Freeform window management, a more functional dock, etc.

Stage manager has failed. The hardware is already powerful enough to run macOS so why do they give us this weird window manager?

Too bad window managers aren't apps that developers could submit to the app store or host on their alternative app stores, so if Apple doesn't want to do it, then let developers do it.
Score: 12 Votes (Like | Disagree)
fuchsdh Avatar
22 months ago
The whole point of the nano texture glass is it avoids the usual tradeoffs of matte panels in exchange for less durability. I don't see any way Apple would offer that on a product where you are going to regularly smudge it and you probably can't properly apply oleophobic coatings. It doesn't make any sense to take a coating from a display you're supposed to, ideally, never touch,* and put it on a touchscreen product.

*Sadly, I know people who can't help but poke screens. So the nano texture would never be my choice :D
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)
falkon-engine Avatar
22 months ago
When will apple bite the damn bullet and let us run macOS or macOS lite from the iPad? That would be a killer feature!
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)