iPad 2022 could get 5G and more power, but not much else looks to be changing

The Apple iPad 10.2 (2021) being used with an Apple Pencil
An iPad 10.2 (2021) (Image credit: TechRadar)

We haven’t heard much about the iPad 2022 yet, but now a leak has revealed many possible core details of the slate, with the highlight being that it might support 5G, unlike its predecessor the iPad 10.2 (2021).

This is according to leaker @dylandkt, and unfortunately this might be the only particularly interesting upgrade the iPad 2022 gets, because in most other ways it sounds similar to the previous model, complete with a 10.2-inch screen, a Lightning port, and the same design.

The source does list some other upgrades though, including the expected move to a more powerful A14 Bionic chipset (as used by the iPhone 12 range), along with Bluetooth 5.0 and Wi-Fi 6.

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Apparently the iPad 2022 will come out in late 2022, which is no surprise since the iPad 10.2 (2021) only landed in September. For those hoping for a new design (one that does away with the home button and much of the bezel) your year could be 2023, as @dylandkt finishes saying that this is when the basic iPad will get redesigned.

In other iPad news, ETNews reports that LG Display is expanding its OLED display production capabilities so that it can make smartphone and tablet panels for Apple from 2024.

Apple’s iPhone range already uses OLED screens, but no iPads currently do, so this is a sign that some might start doing in the next couple of years.

This isn’t the first time we’ve heard that OLED iPads are in the works either, so it’s looking likely. They could even come before 2024 – just probably not from LG Display.

That said, other recent news on the matter also points to 2024, so it looks like we’ll probably be stuck with LCD and mini-LED for a while longer yet.


Apple iPad Pro 11 (2021)

The iPad Pro 11 (2021) already has a great screen (Image credit: Future)

Analysis: Apple doesn’t need to rush to OLED

While a wait until 2024 for OLED iPads might be disappointing, Apple probably doesn’t have much reason to be in a hurry.

The screens on its tablets (and particularly the mini-LED of the iPad Pro 2021 models) are already very impressive, so a move to OLED (which offers better contrast among other perks) probably isn’t a big selling point for most people.

Indeed, Apple’s slates continue to dominate the tablet market, despite the likes of the Samsung Galaxy Tab S7 having OLED screens.

So it makes sense for Apple to take its time, and this could even be a good thing for consumers in some ways, since moving to OLED would likely push prices up.

Via PhoneArena and MacRumors

James Rogerson

James is a freelance phones, tablets and wearables writer and sub-editor at TechRadar. He has a love for everything ‘smart’, from watches to lights, and can often be found arguing with AI assistants or drowning in the latest apps. James also contributes to 3G.co.uk, 4G.co.uk and 5G.co.uk and has written for T3, Digital Camera World, Clarity Media and others, with work on the web, in print and on TV.