Apple may release an iPad Pro with wireless charging capabilities sometime next year. According to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, the tech giant is currently working on a new iPad Pro and a new iPad mini. Apple will reportedly replace the Pro tablet's aluminum casing with a glass back similar to the latest iPhones', partly to enable wireless charging. If you'll recall, the company went from glass to aluminum and then back to glass again for its phones — it made the last switch when it launched the iPhone 8.

Meanwhile, Apple is planning to give the new iPad mini narrower bezels and to remove its home button. The smaller tablet could apparently be available as soon as later this year, in which case it will be the model's first redesign in six years. Gurman didn't share more details about the mini, but he said Apple is testing a MagSafe system for the Pro. In addition, the company is reportedly exploring the addition of a reverse wireless charging feature to the Pro tablet, which would allow you to use its power to charge other gadgets. Apple is known to have been working on the technology for years, and the feature has been rumored for both the iPhone 11 and the iPhone 12.

Aside from the new Pro and the mini, Gurman said the company is also developing a thinner entry-level iPad for students that might be available for sale this year. He added that Apple hasn't given up on developing a wireless charging mat, as well. The tech giant announced the AirPower, which can power up an iPhone, Apple Watch and AirPods at the same time, back in 2017. However, it ultimately canceled the project almost a couple of years later, because it couldn't solve important heating and power issues. Finally, the company is reportedly investigating alternative wireless charging methods that'll enable charging over greater distances than what an inductive connection can provide. 

Before you start making plans to purchase the tablets, take note that nothing's set in stone just yet. According to Gurman's sources, the tablets' development is still in its early stages, and there's still a chance for Apple to change its plans to cancel them completely.

Source: Engadget