Next iPad Pro Might Support MagSafe Charging

The next-generation version of the iPad Pro that's set to come out in 2024 might include support for MagSafe charging, MacRumors has heard. The information comes from a source that is familiar with companies that manufacture magnets for Apple products, and while it's not confirmed at this time, there have been past rumors pointing toward Apple's work on wireless charging for the iPad.

iPad Pro Magsafe Feature
Back in 2021, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said that Apple was considering a glass back for the 2022 ‌iPad Pro‌, allowing for wireless charging capabilities. Gurman specifically said that Apple was testing a ‌MagSafe‌ system for the ‌iPad Pro‌. The 2022 ‌iPad Pro‌ models did not feature wireless charging, a glass back, or notable design changes, but it is possible that Apple tabled the feature for a future launch.

New 11.1 and 13-inch ‌iPad Pro‌ models with OLED displays are planned for 2024, and the devices are expected to get design updates as part of that refresh. Apple has not updated the look of the ‌iPad Pro‌ in several years, so it is due for an overhaul.

It is possible that Apple could be planning for a glass-backed ‌iPad Pro‌ in 2024 as part of the OLED refresh, but that has not been confirmed. A glass back would make the ‌iPad Pro‌ more vulnerable to damage when dropped, similar to the iPhone, but it would also allow for new wire-free accessories and a common ‌MagSafe‌ charger that would work for both the ‌iPhone‌ and ‌iPad‌. The ‌iPad‌ would also presumably work with the 15W magnetic Qi2 chargers that third-party manufacturers are working on.

15W ‌MagSafe‌ charging would be slower than wired charging over USB-C, which is also the case with the ‌iPhone‌, but it would provide Apple device owners with more charging options in a pinch.

There is also a chance that the ‌MagSafe‌ charging for the ‌iPad‌ that we're hearing about refers to a Mac-like magnetic charger rather than an iPhone-style magnetic charger. Apple is working on a more Mac-like aluminum Magic Keyboard for the 2024 ‌iPad Pro‌ launch, and the new iPads will also use the same M3 chips that are in the MacBook Pro.

Related Roundup: iPad Pro
Related Forum: iPad

Top Rated Comments

kc9hzn Avatar
15 weeks ago
I dunno, wireless charging on an iPad has less appeal to me. There’s the question of where do you put the puck, as well as the sweet spot problem but in reverse. MagSafe makes those less annoying, sure, but I’d rather see a return to Mac-like MagSafe charging, at least for the iPad. (Maybe Apple could create a standard for a magnetic break-away USB-C connector, for power at least if not also data.)
Score: 17 Votes (Like | Disagree)
stephen1108 Avatar
15 weeks ago
I wouldn’t be shocked if we got MagSafe 3 on the iPad Pro. Whenever I’d hear the MagSafe rumors, I always thought the iPhone’s MagSafe didn’t make sense, but the MacBook’s MagSafe makes perfect sense.
Score: 15 Votes (Like | Disagree)
luigismalucelli Avatar
15 weeks ago
we don't need iPads with glass backs. iPads are already impossible to repair, Apple just gives you a new one when the screen breaks for example.

Glass backs are very easy to break, specially in something so large as an iPad, also more expensive.

And all that just for wireless charging, when USB-C charging is more efficient and easier?

Seems a gimmick to sell accessories and increase the price
Score: 14 Votes (Like | Disagree)
jz0309 Avatar
15 weeks ago
wireless charging of an iPad is ver inefficient, a company that claims it cares for the environment should not do that.
Score: 11 Votes (Like | Disagree)
subjonas Avatar
15 weeks ago
Isn’t the Smart Connector already a form of wireless charging? Just make some docks/stands or other accessories that magnetically attach to that to charge.
I personally would have preferred iPhones got Smart Connectors rather than inductive charging which isn’t as energy efficient.
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)
BuffaloTF Avatar
15 weeks ago
I would imagine this is MacBook MagSafe… and not iPhone MagSafe. If not, it’s gotta be for a HomePod dock of sorts.
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

maxresdefault

Apple to Launch New iPad Pro and iPad Air Models in May

Thursday March 28, 2024 11:07 am PDT by
Apple will introduce new iPad Pro and iPad Air models in early May, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. Gurman previously suggested the new iPads would come out in March, and then April, but the timeline has been pushed back once again. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. Apple is working on updates to both the iPad Pro and iPad Air models. The iPad Pro models will...
General Apps Messages

Google Reveals When to Expect RCS Support on iPhone for Improved Texting With Android Users

Friday March 29, 2024 7:14 am PDT by
In November, Apple announced that the iPhone would support the cross-platform messaging standard RCS (Rich Communication Services) in the Messages app starting "later" in 2024, and Google has now revealed a more narrow timeframe. In a since-deleted section of the revamped Google Messages web page, spotted by 9to5Google, Google said that Apple would be adopting RCS on the iPhone in the "fall...
airtag new orange

Criminals in Montreal Using AirTags to Steal Vehicles

Friday March 29, 2024 12:50 pm PDT by
Thieves in Montreal, Canada have been using Apple's AirTags to facilitate vehicle theft, according to a report from Vermont news sites WCAX and NBC5 (via 9to5Mac). Police officers in Burlington, Vermont have issued a warning about AirTags for drivers who recently visited Canada. Two Burlington residents found Apple AirTags in their vehicles after returning from trips to Montreal, and these...
top stories 30mar2024

Top Stories: WWDC 2024 Announced, New iPads Delayed, and More

Saturday March 30, 2024 6:00 am PDT by
Apple's WWDC 2024 dates have been announced, giving us timing for the unveiling of the company's next round of major operating system updates and likely some other announcements. This week also saw some disappointing news on the iPad front, with update timing for the iPad Pro and iPad Air pushed back from previous rumors. We did hear some new tidbits about what might be coming in iOS 18 and...
iphone 16 cases sonny dickson 1

First iPhone 16 Cases Outline New Rear Vertical Camera Bump

Friday March 29, 2024 4:09 am PDT by
Photos of the first iPhone 16 cases have been shared online, offering another preview of the rumored new vertical rear camera arrangement on the standard iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus. Image credit: Accessory leaker Sonny Dickson Over the last few months, Apple has been experimenting with different camera bump designs for the standard iPhone 16 models, all of which have featured a vertical ...
Apple iPhone 15 Pro spatial video capture lifestyle

$3 App Shoots Better Quality Spatial Video Than iPhone's Camera App

Friday March 29, 2024 4:48 am PDT by
A $3 third-party app can now record spatial video on iPhone 15 Pro models in a higher resolution than Apple's very own Camera app. Thanks to an update first spotted by UploadVR, Spatialify can now record spatial videos with HDR in 1080p at 60fps or in 4K at 30fps. In comparison, Apple's native Camera app is limited to recording spatial video in 1080p at 30fps. Shortly after Apple's Vision ...