12.9-Inch iPad Pro With Mini-LED Display Rumored to Launch in First Quarter of 2021

[AnthonyHarris]

Sure; but the question righty now is whether Apple wants to sgeregate the iPad into what would essentially be two seperate model lines by using M1 and AX series chipsets if Apple includes capabilities in an M iPad that are not in the rest. My guess is right now the are focussed on making Macs with the M1 and optimizing it for OS X; and somewhere down the road will introduce M series iPads.

I'm on the fence of how Apple might proceed going forward, but we (obviously) know without any doubt that the M chips are able to run MacOS. I'm pretty sure the current iPad Pros and iPhones could at a push but that is another story. If Apple introduce an iPad with an M chip, it would be rather perverse if it didn't ditch iPadOS and just go full on MacOS.

At that point, I don't think they'd want to call it an iPad anymore which brings me onto my wild guess (that's all it is so nobody come at with with pitchforks) that Apple might go down the route of a Surface Pro like Mac product. It seems at this point to be inevitable that something with the Mac lineup is going to change, and introducing an 'iPad like' Mac with a more flexible Magic Keyboard would be an instant win/buy for me.

They have everything they need to do it. They have even handily prepared all of the Mac apps with round corners.

 

[jlc1978]

I'm on the fence of how Apple might proceed going forward, but we (obviously) know without any doubt that the M chips are able to run MacOS.

At that point, I don't think they'd want to call it an iPad anymore which brings me onto my wild guess (that's all it is so nobody come at with with pitchforks) that Apple might go down the route of a Surface Pro like Mac product. It seems at this point to be inevitable that something with the Mac lineup is going to change, and introducing an 'iPad like' Mac with a more flexible Magic Keyboard would be an instant win/buy for me.

I also think that will be the convergence at some point. My only concern would be screen size, I have a 15 MBP because I want the bigger screen, and while my 12.9 Pad works well in many situations there are times the larger screen is very useful - such as with spreadsheets.

I could see an M1 iPad replacing the Air with more traditional MBP's in larger sizes, or Apple could just make a 16" iPad style device for people who want a larger screen.

 

[The Game 161]

I also think that will be the convergence at some point. My only concern would be screen size, I have a 15 MBP because I want the bigger screen, and while my 12.9 Pad works well in many situations there are times the larger screen is very useful - such as with spreadsheets.

I could see an M1 iPad replacing the Air with more traditional MBP's in larger sizes, or Apple could just make a 16" iPad style device for people who want a larger screen.

it's weird I have the M1 air and 12.9 pro and use magic keyboard on the iPad as well. I like having that option of MacOS and iPadOS just works so well generally to enjoy both. not sure we will ever see it being combined into one

 

[jlc1978]

it's weird I have the M1 air and 12.9 pro and use magic keyboard on the iPad as well. I like having that option of MacOS and iPadOS just works so well generally to enjoy both. not sure we will ever see it being combined into one

My guess if the do converge the iPad/Mac form factors you'll see iPadOS go away and have some hybrid Mac OS in its place, with TV and iPhone OS continuing on their own.

What I think will drive convergence, if it happens, is not that the tablet UI is appealing but that processors have become small, fast, and efficient enough, and solid state memory as well, to build what are now considered PC features into a tablet and add a keyboard to turn it into what is now considered a laptop. That would leave desktops to be the more powerful solutions for people who need it since they are less constrained by size and battery requirements.

I think the convergence is inevitable, even if it seems a bit far fetched today. It wasn't that long ago that laptops were more of a niche and desktops were the primary choice for many users; now the situation is very different as technology made laptops better. The push towards cloud based computing also means onboard storage demands will be less; although I am still of the mind I want my stuff on my drive, and the cloud is merely for (encrypted) backups, many people will simply not notice or care where their stuff is stored, just that it is available when needed. As connectivity gets faster and more readily available away from a hardwired connection, the cloud will become more viable for most users.

At some point, it no longer will be thought of as a tablet but just your PC that you can attach a keyboard to if needed.

 

[iPadProPerson]

put it in the 11 inch, 12.9 is too big and everyone loves the compact 11

 

[cmaier]

MicroLED yeah maybe in 10 years

Maybe sooner. But in any case OLED would be fine until then.

 

[rp2011]

it's weird I have the M1 air and 12.9 pro and use magic keyboard on the iPad as well. I like having that option of MacOS and iPadOS just works so well generally to enjoy both. not sure we will ever see it being combined into one

I don’t see a problem. The iPad can and should get more features and more powerful.
Apple doesn’t want to add touch features to the Mac, which is ok, as long as the iPad Pro gets more powerful.
Choice. Apple could offer two separate devices to consumers with different needs. And possibly even sell the TWO devices to the same consumer. A lot of us will own both.

 

[locrumo]

At that time. Time has a tendency though for not standing still.

So don't use the word RETINA.

 

[Pixel26]

cant wait!!!

 

[AnthonyHarris]

My guess if the do converge the iPad/Mac form factors you'll see iPadOS go away and have some hybrid Mac OS in its place, with TV and iPhone OS continuing on their own.

What I think will drive convergence, if it happens, is not that the tablet UI is appealing but that processors have become small, fast, and efficient enough, and solid state memory as well, to build what are now considered PC features into a tablet and add a keyboard to turn it into what is now considered a laptop. That would leave desktops to be the more powerful solutions for people who need it since they are less constrained by size and battery requirements.

I think the convergence is inevitable, even if it seems a bit far fetched today. It wasn't that long ago that laptops were more of a niche and desktops were the primary choice for many users; now the situation is very different as technology made laptops better. The push towards cloud based computing also means onboard storage demands will be less; although I am still of the mind I want my stuff on my drive, and the cloud is merely for (encrypted) backups, many people will simply not notice or care where their stuff is stored, just that it is available when needed. As connectivity gets faster and more readily available away from a hardwired connection, the cloud will become more viable for most users.

At some point, it no longer will be thought of as a tablet but just your PC that you can attach a keyboard to if needed.

Even if the iPad never becomes something more Mac like, I think we can all agree that it needs a centralised filing system.

It is a bore and the bane of my existence that everything gets duplicated and saved multiple times.

 

[ericwn]

So don't use the word RETINA.

It’s just a marketing term. They’ll call it whatever the hell they want.

 

[Abazigal]

Even if the iPad never becomes something more Mac like, I think we can all agree that it needs a centralised filing system.

It is a bore and the bane of my existence that everything gets duplicated and saved multiple times.

That’s actually the first feature I learnt to embrace.

For example, all my files are stored in Dropbox and synced to my iPad via the documents app. This allows me to say, import files into notability and I can annotate on them all I want, knowing that the original copies are still in my cloud storage and will not be modified by anything I do with the copies.

I guess it helps that by embracing the nature of iOS early on (I have been working on an iPad since 2012) meant that somewhere along the line, iOS became the norm and windows / macOS started feeling more like the aberration.

Perhaps it would benefit from a central filing system, but I have learnt to just work around it.

 

[meboy]

Bring back the MacBook 12.

Put the iPad Pro 12.9" screen in it.

Put the M1 chip in it.

Add a convertible hinge.

Done..
You have the best screen, much lighter than either the iPad Pro with magic keyboard or the Air, Pen support, Product to truly compete with the Surface.

Extra would be to incorporate iOS apps into MacOS, but they're already on that.

 

[VARTV]

You’d rather have a worse image so as to avoid burn-in that nobody is complaining about?

Both of our previous phones, a XS and XS Max, had burn-in issues... We like to keep our iPad's screen on 24/7. I look forward to the mini-LED screen...

 

[cmaier]

Both of our previous phones, a XS and XS Max, had burn-in issues... We like to keep our iPad's screen on 24/7. I look forward to the mini-LED screen...

Photos? There have been almost no reports of such problems with the XS.

 

[VARTV]

Photos? There have been almost no reports of such problems with the XS.

For me, the SiriusXM app was burned-in... I guess a handful of times when I was using it (AirPlay) and had the screen on (all day???). My wife's phone had the iMessages app burned-in. She texts a lot but usually turns the screen off (plus Auto Lock was enabled at 30 seconds). It was just within the past 6 months that I noticed it on both phones. It was subtle but it was there. With our new phones, I make sure my screen is always off when not using it. Wifey, well... she tries...

 

[anipaduser]

I just ordered 12.9 iPad Pro current version and got it on sale. Now I am confused.Should I return and wait or just use it. What would you do?