Apple plans something special for the next iPad Pro, says expert

The next generation of the flagship iPad could be set to enjoy a substantial internal upgrade. That's according to a new report from Mark Gurman's Power On newsletter.

That suggests that the next-gen M6 iPad Pro will incorporate a vapour chamber for cooling. Such a move would improve performance and efficiency, which has long been a big focus for the brand.

The news comes as the brand debuted its vapour chamber cooling technology on the iPhone 17 Pro models this year. That may well have been a first from the Californian outfit, though it doesn't look like the last iteration of the technology.

The brand has already employed some new cooling technologies on other versions of the iPad Pro. The M4 variant already packed in a copper heatsink, and it looks as though the next model will take that even further.

According to Gurman's report, the technology is on the roadmap, though it won't be arriving anytime soon. Given that the most recent M5 iPad Pro was only unveiled last week – and those models are currently on an 18-month cycle – we're anticipating this technology hitting the market around spring of 2027.

It's going to be a long wait for those who are eager to see the new technology implemented, then. That demographic is likely to include gamers and those who use the iPad for power-intensive tasks like music production and video editing.

For those endeavours, the vapour chamber design has a secondary benefit. It should negate the need for a cooling fan, which will ensure the device can be operated noise-free. It's one of the things which drew me to the M1 MacBook Air many years ago, and is something I really couldn't do without at this point, so it's great to see other devices get that treatment.