The 12.9-inch iPad Pro might not be the largest tablet that Apple offers soon, as the company is reportedly exploring even larger variants that could hit store shelves in two years from now. The 12.9-inch iPad Pro first made its debut back in 2015, topping the 12-inch MacBook and packing a screen slightly smaller screen than the MacBook Air. The latest-gen iPad Pro is already treading in the screen size territory of Apple’s latest-and-greatest laptops, which makes the latest speculation all the more interesting.
Apple is already rumored to make some major changes to the iPad line within the next couple of years. The arrival of a mini-LED display and a desktop-class M1 chip inside the 2021 iPad Pro set the ball rolling. Next in line is expected to be the upcoming iPad Mini refresh, with leaked renders pointing to an iPad Air-like design update later this year. Next year, the company is rumored to arm some of its iPad models with an OLED panel, further boosting their appeal to creative professionals, complete with an aesthetic makeover in tow.
Apple’s design and engineering team is now pondering the idea of a larger iPad, according to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman. However, the product is not expected to make its debut until 2023 at the earliest. More importantly, the project is still in the conceptualization phase, which means there is always a chance that it might be axed. At this point, one can only speculate what the screen diagonal of an even larger iPad will be. Apple might either go with the familiar 13.3-inch form factor of the M1 MacBook Air and its Pro sibling. Or, Apple could go all-in on the ‘creativity powerhouse’ appeal by arming it with a 14 or 15-inch panel, making it an ideal solution for folks invested in the graphic design side of things. At this point, chances of the latter happening are more likely, unless Apple decides to sunset the 12.9-inch form factor.
Apple Continues To Blur The iPad & Mac Line
If the rumor turns out to be true, the lines between the MacBook and iPad family will get even more blurred than they already are. Apple has already started arming the iPad Pro with the same M1 silicon as the MacBook, ensuring both machines are at an almost equal footing when it comes to raw firepower. In addition, the shared architecture also means that iPad apps can now run natively on the MacBook. With the new Magic series accessories essentially turning the iPad into an Apple-branded Surface, it is becoming increasingly difficult to separate the MacBook from the iPad family, based solely on what each class of product can accomplish.
At this point in time, the only key differentiating factor between the two machines is the operating system. iPadOS is still locked to the App Store ecosystem, while the Mac follows the same approach as its Windows counterparts. Apple might actually pitch its upcoming jumbo-sized iPad as a MacBook alternative that offers almost the same amount of power, but remains locked to the Apple software ecosystem, helping to limit the impact of malware. Apple itself has admitted that the level of malware in Mac ecosystem is unacceptable, which further necessitates the need of a product with roughly the same amount of firepower, but without any of the increased malware concerns.
The M1-powered iPad Pro has proved itself more than capable of handling even demanding tasks such as video editing and graphics design with ease. Plus, its form factor — paired with a stylus — further add to its versatility as a reliable computing machine. While the debate as to whether an iPad can really replace a computer will continue, the company will likely draw a line and keep certain traits exclusive to its tablet in a bid to ensure the iPad doesn’t cannibalize Mac sales, such as a touch-sensitive panel and stylus support. In the meantime, the 12.9-inch iPad Pro continues to serve as the perfect companion computing machine for Apple’s 13-inch MacBook Air and Pro models.
