iPad Pro 2021 refresh with a mini LED display, new M1-rivalling SoC and better cameras tipped to launch alongside the iPad mini 6 and AirTags at mid-March hardware event
Apple tends to announce new hardware in March, with the company revealing the iPad Pro 12.9-inch 4th Gen and 11-inch 2nd Gen on March 18, 2020. Similarly, Apple unveiled the iPad mini 5 on March 18, 2019. According to a report from South Korea, Apple has scheduled its next hardware event for March 16, which would be the third Tuesday of the month.
The likes of Mark Gurman have not confirmed that Apple will announce hardware on that day, but it is not that far-fetched, given that Apple has released new products on the third Monday and Wednesdays of March in the last few years. The same report from South Korea claims that Apple will reveal its 2021 iPad Pro refresh, along with new iPad minis and AirTags. Supposedly, Apple will announce broader support for the Apple Card too, which @FrontTron asserts means that it will be available in more countries.
According to Gurman, the larger iPad Pro will have a Mini LED display, which will result in a thicker overall device. However, a switch to Mini LED displays will give the 12.9-inch model better contrast ratios and a higher maximum brightness. Additionally, Gurman claims that Apple will equip the device with a new SoC, and one that is on par with the M1. Moreover, Gurman believes that Apple will complement these hardware upgrades with 5G connectivity and better cameras.
The iPad mini 6 should also be in attendance next month, renders of which Pigtou and @xleaks7 published last month. Similarly, Jon Prosser recently claimed that Apple would unveil the long-awaited AirTags next month, albeit without revealing a date.