• Apple is expected to launch the new iPad Pro, with the M2 processor, in the coming days.
• In terms of performance, the new processor will reportedly make the iPad Pro 20 percent faster.
• This comes as Apple plans new forays into smart home devices.

The upcoming Apple iPad Pro will launch in “a matter of days,” according to Bloomberg. Apart from new chips to ramp up performance, the new iPads will also launch with iPadOS 16.1.

The Cupertino-based tech titan is scheduled to announce new 11-inch and 12.9-inch versions of the iPad Pro, codenamed J617 and J620 respectively, which will have the M2 processor found in Apple’s latest MacBook Air.

The M2 processor chip is the biggest change coming to the company’s tablets in more than a year. M2 silicon offers nearly a 20 percent speed boost on the devices. This is less than the boost garnered by the M1 chip in the previous iteration of iPad Pros, but is still impressive.

In terms of design, the M2 iPad Pros will look similar to last year’s Pro models. Apple will continue to same flat-edge design on its tablets, now for the fourth year in a row. The flat edge design is also being used for Apple’s other iPads and iPhones, so it makes they would continue the look for cohesiveness across devices.

Much to-do has been made about Apple’s latest iPad software – iPadOS 16.1. The updated software marks the first iPad version of iOS 16. The new OS will reportedly introduce the Weather app to iPads for the first time, as well as a host of new collaboration features. The upcoming iPad Pros will also launch with Stage Manager, a multitasking interface that has recently come under criticism by analysts.

Controversy abounds that since the latest iPad Pros cost nearly as much as a Mac, connect to a keyboard and trackpad and, especially with these new releases, will have the same processors, should the iPad Pros not be running macOS-like interfaces instead?

Stage Manager is reportedly filled with bugs and generally unpleasant to use. There are rumours that the company might be planning to describe Stage Manager as a beta test to placate its critics.

Apple is also apparently looking for more ways to get into your house. The company is planning new smart home features for its tablets, including ones to turn iPads into smart hubs, with speakers a la Google’s Pixel Tablet.

Google is set to launch accessories that will turn its Pixel Tablet into a smart display with added home control functionalities. It seems Apple is looking at doing the same iPad, with the idea being a device that users can place on the nightstand or kitchen counter. A ubiquitous household helper.

If Apple does make the push into smart home with its iPads, it marks the company’s largest foray ever into the steadily growing industry. In South Africa alone, smart home technology is getting ready to see a boom in sales, with revenues expected to grow annually by 14.41 percent to $1.016 million by 2026.