Apple’s next iPad Pro may not look dramatically different, but it could get one upgrade that makes a lot of sense for an ultra-thin tablet. Better cooling.
According to Bloomberg, Apple is testing four new iPad Pro models planned for spring 2027. The tablets are expected to keep the current 11-inch and 13-inch display sizes, while focusing mostly on internal improvements, including faster chips. Apple has also reportedly tested a vapor chamber cooling system for the iPad Pro, which could help improve sustained performance and reduce overheating.
Apple is catching up on cooling
The iPad Pro won’t be the first Apple device to come equipped with a vapor chamber cooling system. Apple finally embraced the design trend with the iPhone 17 Pro, years after it became mainstream on Android phones for dissipating internal heat buildup. Alongside the vapor chamber cooling system inside the iPhone 17 Pro duo, Apple also shifted to an aluminum chassis. That change opens the door for improved heat transfer away from the device compared to the titanium-based material Apple used on its predecessor.
By adopting a vapor chamber cooling system, Apple is only meeting industry expectations. It is not something truly remarkable. In the Android segment, Chinese upstarts such as Red Magic have already moved beyond conventional vapor chambers and adopted liquid-cooled systems. For example, the Red Magic 11S Pro smartphone has it, and the upcoming Red Magic Astra 2 tablet will also come equipped with liquid-cooled thermal management hardware. The benefits, however, are noticeable.
“The company is on an 18-month upgrade cycle for the iPad Pro, suggesting that the vapor chamber could be added around spring 2027,” the outlet previously reported.
The design may stay familiar
The design language of the upcoming iPad Pro is not expected to stray too far from its M4- or M5-powered siblings. Apple introduced the fresh design language just over two years ago, ditching the secondary ultrawide camera and adopting the thinnest all-metal chassis it has ever attempted on a tablet.
For a while, the iPad Pro was the thinnest mainstream tablet out there. It was only in 2026 that it was surpassed by China’s Huawei, which has finally started selling its flagship MatePad tablet in Western markets.
That makes the reported cooling upgrade more interesting than a small design refresh. If Apple keeps the iPad Pro thin while adding faster chips, better thermal hardware could help the tablet maintain performance for longer during video editing, gaming, and other demanding workloads.