KEY POINTS

  • iPad Pro may come with improved cameras and screens
  • The line will feature Thunderbolt ports for faster syncing
  • iPad Minis will come lighter yet with better and bigger display

The highly anticipated launch of the new iPad Pros could happen as early as April, Bloomberg reported Wednesday. The new iPad Pro will likely carry homemade M1 chips, a Thunderbolt port and better cameras and screen.

The iPad mini may also get a fresh look with a bigger screen later this year, the report added. Apple watchers had expected the tech giant to unveil new products later this month.

The switch to Apple's own M1 chips would boost iPad Pro the league of MacBook Air, MacBook Pro and Mac mini. The chips are made by Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co.

The iPad Pro upgrade will come with the Thunderbolt port similar to the most recent line of Macs. Devices with Thunderbolt ports are proven to sync data faster than devices with USB-C ports. It provides wider connectivity with peripherals such as hard drives and external monitors.

For iPad Pros, Apple adopted the USB-C’s port for the Thunderbolt connectors so there won’t be any major difference in the appearance of the new iPad Pro.

Almost similar to the current iPad Pro series, the new line will come with 11 and 12.9-inch screen sizes.

Apple also plans to equip the larger model with an improved contrast ratio through a brighter Mini-LED screen, according to CNET.

Apple iPad Pro was last updated on March 2020 with a lidar scanner alongside the camera, support for the Magic Keyboard, and a tweaked processor.

The Bloomberg report also hinted that Apple will refresh its iPad mini in the latter part of 2021. The affordable version will come with a thinner and lighter design yet with a bigger screen than the 7.9 inches it usually had since its first model launch.

Apple is yet to make a formal announcement or a comment on the Bloomberg report.

2020 iPad Pro
2020 iPad Pro with the new Magic Keyboard. Apple