Your next iPad Pro could be very, very powerful(Image credit: Daniel Romero on Unsplash)
Last year was, among other things, a bountiful year for iPad fans. From the new iPad Pro and Magic Keyboard to the surprisingly powerful iPad Air, you'd be forgiven for struggling to keep up with the torrent of tablets Apple released in 2020. And if new leaks are to be believed, 2021 is set to continue the trend.
We've heard tell for a while that Apple is working on the first iPad to feature a Mini-LED display, and if new leaks are to be believed, it could be arriving sooner rather than later – with some unexpectedly impressive internals. It seems the 2021 iPad Pro is shaping up to be a shoo-in for our best drawing tablets list.
Rumour has it the iPad Pro is first in line for some awesome internals (Image credit: Apple)
According to renowned Apple leaker Mark Gurman, the new iPad Pro will feature internals "on par" with the M1 chip currently found in the new MacBook Air and MacBook Pro, released in November. We've been blown away by the performance of Apple's new custom silicon chip (and are surprised that there are some already some early M1 MacBook deals to be found online).
While we assumed the new iPad would be fast, M1-level performance sounds pretty exciting news for creatives. We weren't expecting any of Apple's tablets to be able to rival the M1 Macs for a while – but then again, it makes sense for the company to want to distinguish the iPad Pro from less powerful models. Currently, there isn't a lot between the Air and the Pro – and we've even wondered whether the iPad Air 4 has made the current iPad Pro irrelevant.
Recent rumours have also suggested that the new iPad Pro will become the first Apple tablet to sport a mini-LED display, allowing for much higher contrast and brightness. Anything that makes the iPad an even sharper digital canvas can only be a good thing for designers (though not necessarily for your wallet if you upgraded last year).
Last year's iPad Air is already giving the Pro a run for its money (Image credit: Apple)
If all of these rumours turn out to be true, an impossibly fast chip and incredible screen tech could collide to make 2021 iPad Pro the ultimate tablet for creatives. And we might not have to wait long to find out – Apple is rumoured to be holding an event on 16 March, where a new iPad Pro could be joined by redesigned AirPods.
If you don't want to wait, check out today's best iPad deals below – and be sure to visit our Apple deals page for more brilliant offers.
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Daniel John is Senior News Editor at Creative Bloq. He reports on the worlds of art, design, branding and lifestyle tech (which often translates to tech made by Apple). He joined in 2020 after working in copywriting and digital marketing with brands including ITV, NBC, Channel 4 and more.
