Apple could be bringing its new 5G technology to the iPad Pro, according to sources.
DigiTimes, which has a mixed track record when it comes to Apple rumors and leaks, has suggested that the company is working on a new 5G-enabled iPad with mmWave support.
The report suggests that Taiwan’s Advanced Semiconductor Engineering has been instructed to work on antennas for the new 5G iPad, as well as new 5G-enabled iPhones.
Although the report doesn’t specify, it’s likely that the new 5G functionality on the iPad would be exclusive to the iPad Pro, as 5G antennas are expensive and thus have higher production costs.
If Apple did add 5G connectivity to the lower-cost iPad and iPad mini, it would considerably raise the price, at least by $100 apiece, pricing the models out of the market.
Apple is widely expected to launch its first 5G smartphones in September, though there’s no word on when a new 5G iPad could join the line-up.
The company’s Pro tablet, aimed at power users and artists, hasn’t been properly updated since 2018, so it could be this year.
The last time Apple added a major new antenna to its devices was by introducing LTE support on the iPad in 2012; it came in March before the iPhone 5 arrived in September.
Generally speaking, though, Apple saves big new features for iPhones, and then ports them over to the iPad where appropriate, so it’s unlikely we’ll see a 5G iPad before September.
It’s interesting to note that Apple is working on a mmWave 5G iPad, which offers users ultra-fast speeds at short distances, making it a great choice for consumers in urban areas.
The sub-6GHz 5G model, which is expected to come as part of the new iPhones, is slower than mmWave but its signals can travel further, better suiting the majority of Apple’s users.
Would you be interested in a 5G iPad? Let us know your thoughts over on Twitter and check back soon for more Apple news and rumors, as and when we get them.
