Apple's 14-inch iPad might not have two critical features

Apple’s 14-inch iPad might not have two critical features

Rumor has it that a 14-inch iPad is in the works at Apple. However, while it was once thought to be an oversized iPad Pro, new information suggests that it’ll be much more similar to Apple’s baseline iPad. Industry analyst Ross Young was in line with plenty of other sources when he claimed last week that the 14-inch iPad Pro would be coming in 2023, but now he’s telling his Super Followers on Twitter (via 9to5Mac) that the device will be launching without a mini-LED display and ProMotion.

The lack of mini-LED in the rumored oversized iPad is a major hit for anyone who was hoping for top-tier display quality on the 14-inch iPad. Because the display size is so big, it seems like a 14-inch screen is a perfect candidate to receive the mini-LED treatment. But if Young is correct, that might not be what Apple has in mind for it. According to Young, the iPad will instead have “regular LED edge lightning.”

Reading a comic on an iPad Pro. — Andy Boxall/Digital Trends

If this 14-inch iPad also won’t support ProMotion, it seems like a done deal that it won’t be a Pro model iPad. ProMotion is the variable refresh rate display option that has been featured in iPad Pro devices since 2017. ProMotion’s absence in the 14-inch iPad would give it a 60Hz refresh rate rather than a 120Hz one — taking away the smooth and responsive user experience that fans have come to expect from the high-end iPads.

Even if Young’s report is true (and based on his track record, we’re inclined to believe that it is), a 14-inch display for an iPad is still impressive. It might not be as powerful or high-end as an iPad Pro in terms of what’s going on behind its giant display, but the increased screen size will be able to make use of the new features coming to iPadOS 16 in a way that smaller screens might not.

This isn’t the death of any and all iPad Pro innovation. There are plenty of reports saying that Apple is still gearing up to launch new iPad Pro tablets later in 2022. They just might not have the 14-inch display that many were hoping for. Because none of this is officially confirmed, there’s still a chance that Apple could reveal a 14-inch iPad Pro, but I wouldn’t suggest holding your breath for it.

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