The next Apple iPad Pro could be closer to a laptop than ever before

The Apple iPad Pro series is set to receive its next refresh next year in 2024, and beyond the usual specifications bump, Apple is expected to step harder on selling the iPad Pro as a laptop. Despite the current iPad Pro variants featuring the M2 chip as well as support for an external keyboard, the next important step in this transition is expected to be in the display.

As per Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, Apple is set to feature a crisper and brighter display on the upcoming iPad Pro variants. For the uninitiated, Apple currently sells the M2-powered iPad Pro in two variants – 11-inch and 12.9-inch. While the former comes with an LED panel, the latter sports a mini-LED display with a better contrast ratio. Both iPads, however, cap out at 600 nits of brightness.

Brighter, more accurate display

The report suggests that Apple’s new iPad Pro models could arrive in 11-inch and 13-inch variants. Unlike the current models, these could feature OLED panels, which would mean crisper colours, punchier blacks, and an overall accurate representation of colours. Handy for work, especially if you’re a creator or designer. Of course, the new iPads are also likely to retain features like ProMotion.

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While the iPad Pro series has been on par with Apple’s MacBooks in terms of raw power for a while, experts have stuck to the MacBook series for its better displays and more optimised software, the lack of the latter on the iPads often seen as a performance bottleneck. However, with the iPad Pro getting a better, brighter screen, Apple could address one of the issues. That’s not all either.

Improved Magic Keyboard

Apple announced the Magic Keyboard for the first time in 2020, adding a keyboard accessory to the all-screen iPad Pro so users could have a more comfortable, responsive typing experience. This accessory is also reportedly getting an update this year, with the new Magic Keyboard reportedly featuring a larger trackpad similar to the MacBook series.

Can the software keep up?

It is clear that Apple wants to push the iPad Pro series as laptop replacements and not tablets. It has been doing that for a while now. However, performance enthusiasts or users with high workloads will likely not be convinced until the software is on par with macOS.

Apple will likely improve iPadOS this year with more features, but an important aspect of iPadOS 17 will be whether the software is optimised to make the most of an M2-series chip. Without this, the iPad Pro may yet again be seen simply as a powerful tablet, rather than the all-round work-machine Apple wants us to see.