New iPads

It’s hard to predict Apple’s iPad updates with any real certainty these days, but it’s fair to say that in the very least 2021 should feature new iPad Pro models, with the 12.9-inch iPad Pro gaining a Mini-LED display.

With Apple’s iPad Air now featuring the fastest chip in the iPad lineup — the same A14 found in the iPhone 12 series — it’s pretty much a given that the iPad Pro will rise to at least the same specs, although an “A14X” seems more likely. Both models may also gain 5G wireless capabilities, and possibly new 6GHz Wi-Fi 6E technology.

Whether the fourth-generation iPad Air will get updated in the coming year is less clear, since the late 2020 release was already a major redesign, and it came 18 months after Apple resurrected the iPad Air name to create a mid-tier iPad entry. The same could also be said for Apple’s entry-level iPad, although it seems to have moved back to an annual cycle of relatively modest fall updates.

The dark horse in this race? The iPad mini. While it seems likely Apple is working on a sixth-generation model of its diminutive tablet, there are few solid reports of what it might actually look like, or when it could be coming out.

It’s still a popular enough size for Apple to keep it in the lineup, and our take is that much like the early 2019 release of the iPad Air 3 and iPad mini 5 the next version will likely borrow much from the 11-inch iPad Air, including an edge-to-edge display and a home button Touch ID sensor. There are also rumours of a mini-LED display for it, but we’d take those with a much larger dose of salt — especially in light of the fact that the 11-inch iPad Pro may not even be getting there anytime soon.