It’s been a bit of a funny year this year when it comes to Apple launches. We got the iPhone and Apple Watch refreshes as expected, but we’ve seen more from Mac than is typical, while iPad hasn’t got a look in at all – not even the regular model.
Around this time last year we were looking at the redesigned iPad (10th generation) – which by the way is excellent – along with upgraded iPad Pro models. When I say upgraded iPad Pro models however, I mean upgraded in terms of power and a couple of new features rather than upgraded in terms of design.
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Apple iPad (2022)
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To be perfectly honest, for the last few years, it’s been a bit of a struggle to tell the difference between the iPad Pro models from one year to the next in terms of what they look like. The uniformed bezels, dual rear camera, super slim aluminium build and Face ID capabilities have been around since 2020 and there hasn’t even been a new colour to distinguish between the years, like the Space Black MacBook Pro we just got treated to.
Internally, the iPad Pro models have seen a boost year-on-year, but do most people really need extra power in an iPad? I mean, the M1 chip is still extremely powerful and more than capable of performing at the levels most require from a tablet. Sure, there will be some that will benefit from the M2 chip upgrades we saw appear towards the end of last year – such as those who video edit on their iPad Pro – but if you had an M1 iPad Pro, upgrading to the M2 model would have been a tall order for many.
Why OLED is the upgrade iPad Pro needs
There is a feature other than power that would entice me to upgrade however – and probably many others too – and that’s a move to OLED. Now don’t get me wrong, the mini-LED display that’s been present on the iPad Pro 12.9-inch model for the last couple of years is excellent. It’s punchy, bright, vibrant, and it’s a lovely display overall. But it’s not OLED. And the iPad Pro 11-inch isn’t even mini-LED, it’s LCD so a switch to OLED on that model would be even more welcome.
There’s something wonderful about OLED panels. The deep blacks, bright whites and lovely bright colours they produce are second to no other technology in my opinion. Mini-LED offers decent results for a backlit technology, but each pixel on an OLED panel is individually lit, which is why OLED screens deliver a level of consistency and contrast that is difficult to find in other panels, no matter how brilliant they are.
Apple switched to OLED on its iPhone with the iPhone X in 2017, and it’s used it on its Apple Watch models since the smartwatch’s beginning in 2015. Its Mac portfolio and iPad range have yet to benefit from OLED panels however, despite being two of the company’s products that could really use this technology. Everything looks better with OLED so watching movies would be glorious on an iPad Pro with an OLED screen. It’s not just movies either, even reading is better on OLED thanks to the enhanced contrast levels and then you have drawing and photo editing, all of which will really stand out on OLED. A switch to OLED would also allow for an Always-On Display like the iPhone 14 Pro models and iPhone 15 Pro models, and dare I say it, some form of StandBy mode for iPad like iPhone has that might even compete with Hub Mode on Pixel Tablet.
According to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, the next iPad Pro models will switch to OLED, with both the 13-inch model and 11-inch model getting the upgrade and I can’t tell you how pleased I would be if that rumour comes to fruition. Gurman isn’t the only one to say it either – analyst Ming-Chi Kuo also supported the idea so I won’t lie, my fingers are well and truly crossed.
Put an M3 chip in the next iPad Pro and nothing else and I’d skip over that upgrade for sure. Put an OLED panel on the iPad Pro 11-inch and I’m yours, take my money.
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