Apple apparently had big plans for the 2022 iPad Pro: in order to bring MagSafe charging to Apple's biggest and best tablet, the company was experimenting with an all-glass back. As good-looking as that would be, the thing about all-glass backs is that they are absolutely smashing. And that's a problem, because going all-in on glass would make the iPad Pro much more fragile.
That's left Apple with a dilemma. If the aluminium of the current iPad Pro is a problem for MagSafe and glass is a problem because of its comparative fragility, what do you do? According to 9to5Mac (opens in new tab), Apple's solution is simple: make the back aluminium but make the Apple logo out of glass. Apple has apparently developed prototype iPad Pros with a larger Apple logo, stronger magnets and faster wireless charging. That last one's important, because the iPad Pro is more like a M1 MacBook Pro than an iPhone – and that means charging it needs more power or much longer charging time.
An iPad Pro with a heart of glass
The 2022 iPad Pro is expected to have an M2 processor like the 2022 MacBook Air is also expected to have, and 9to5Mac reports that it'll have a similar module to the iPhone 13 and a much bigger battery. Apparently Apple has also considered adding a notch, but that won't be in this year's model.
It'll be interesting to see what solution Apple settles on for wireless charging, assuming it doesn't abandon the idea altogether – because if Apple can make wireless work for a nearly 13-inch, M-powered iPad Pro, it could also bring the same technology to the MacBook Pro. This is something Apple patented some time ago, with illustrations showing a wirelessly charged MacBook Pro using reverse wireless charging to recharge an iPhone and an Apple Watch. As someone whose work desk has a wireless pad for my iPhone and earbuds, a wired charger for my Apple Watch and a USB-C going into my M1 MacBook Pro, a Mac with reverse charging would be one of the best laptops I'd ever owned.
