One of the biggest days in the tech calendar is fast approaching, as Apple is expected to announce the iPhone 14 soon, with September 7 being the date of the next Apple event, and where we’ll almost certainly see this handset.
That phone won’t land alone – we’re also expecting to see an iPhone 14 Pro, an iPhone 14 Max, and an iPhone 14 Pro Max. There’s likely to be more than just iPhones on show too, with the Apple Watch 8 and the Apple Watch 8 Rugged Edition also expected to make an appearance. But what about iPads?
Well, while the iPad Pro 2021 line is over a year old – having been announced in April 2021 – and while there was some talk that we might see a new model alongside the iPhone 14, that’s now looking unlikely.
Why we probably won’t see a new iPad Pro at the iPhone 14 launch
While numerous sources have pointed to an iPad Pro landing in 2022, this line of slates doesn’t tend to get new entries at iPhone launches, and most recent leaks suggest the new iPad Pro won’t make it in time for the iPhone 14, with an October launch looking more likely.
October is the month that - among other leakers - reputable leaker Mark Gurman points to, and he’s usually worth listening to. He made this claim in late August too, which is close enough to the likely launch date of Apple’s various upcoming gadgets that the dates are probably now confirmed, and unlikely to change.
That’s not the only evidence pointing towards October either, as Apple even more recently revealed that iPadOS 16 won’t launch until after iOS 16. Now, while not confirmed we’re strongly expecting iOS 16 to launch alongside or close to the iPhone 14, so that would mean iPadOS 16 doesn’t land until after the iPhone 14’s launch.
We’d also assume that Apple would want to debut new tablet hardware alongside this software, which would then likely mean that the iPad Pro 2022 probably won’t land until after the iPhone 14.
There are a few leaps and assumptions there, but reasonable ones, and based on details provided by Apple directly.
As for exactly when iPadOS 16 would land, Apple has said ‘fall’, which encompasses September through November, so an October launch would certainly work for that, making October our best guess for now.
That said, there’s an outside chance we’ll be waiting even longer, as back in March a leaker suggested that there might not be a new iPad Pro at all in 2022. That leak is old enough though that we’re skeptical it’s accurate, especially as we haven’t heard this claim elsewhere.
The case for a new iPad Pro at the iPhone 14 launch
While we doubt that a new iPad Pro will land alongside the iPhone 14, it’s not impossible. Launching new slates at the same event as the phones would make sense in some ways, especially if the alternative is another event soon after.
Plus, Evan Blass – a leaker with a great track record – recently claimed that we would see the next iPad Pro at the iPhone 14 event. But he’s the only recent source pointing in that direction, and in the same breath he suggested there will be an iPhone 14 mini as well, which is looking very unlikely, so we’re not overly convinced.
So while we can’t rule out a September 7 launch for the iPad Pro 2022, we’d be a little surprised by it. Still, if you can't wait beyond that, our guide to the best iPads has lots of other options.
