Rumor: upcoming iPad Pro can charge wirelessly and iPad mini gets new design

Apple is rumored to be working on an iPad Pro with a glass back and support for wireless charging. Apple would also be working on a new design for the iPad mini and a thinner regular iPad.

Apple iPad mini (2019)

The updated iPad mini should be released this year, writes Mark Gurman on Bloomberg. Gurman is known for his good resources within Apple. The new model would have smaller screen edges and Apple would test removing the Home button, but whether that will be implemented is not yet clear.

The iPad mini last received a hardware overhaul in 2019. This gave the tablet a faster soc and support for the Apple Pencil. The physical design has been unchanged for six years. Along with the new iPad mini, Apple would also like to release a thinner version of the entry-level iPad at the end of this year. Further details about this are not yet known.

The new iPad Pro with wireless charging is expected to arrive in 2022. The design has to be adapted to make it possible and the back would therefore be made of glass. According to Gurman’s sources, development is still at an early stage and plans are subject to change. As with the iPhones that support wireless charging, Apple would like to use magnets to attach the iPad Pro to the charger. That would ensure a consistent loading speed. Charging via the Thunderbolt connection also remains possible and that is probably faster.

Apple is also said to be testing reverse wireless charging for the iPad Pro. This would make it possible to wirelessly charge an iPhone, AirPods or Apple Watch by placing it on the back of the iPad Pro.

Apple is also still working on a wireless charging mat, the sources say. Years ago, Apple announced the AirPower, a mat to wirelessly charge multiple devices at the same time, but it was scrapped due to technical problems.

The deleted Apple AirPower charging mat