Rumor: 'iPad Pro 2022 gets two new Smart Connectors for accessories'

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Since the very first iPad Pro from 2015, this model has had the so-called Smart Connector. You can now find this magnetic connection on almost all iPad models, even the cheaper entry-level model. The connector hasn't changed much in recent years, except it's moved from the side to the back on most models. Will 2022 be the year that the Smart Connector gets smarter? According to Macotakara, the iPad Pro 2022 will get a dual Smart Connector, both on the top and bottom of the back.

‘Renewed Smart Connector on iPad Pro 2022 with better specs’

The new information comes from sources in China, so we're not completely sure yet. According to those sources, both the 12.9- and 11-inch iPad Pro 2022 will have the same chassis as the current iPad Pro models, but with new 4-pin connectors on both the top and bottom, near the side edges. The 4-pin connectors refer to the number of contact points that are incorporated in the connection. Currently, the Smart Connector has three contact points, through which both power and data are sent for connected accessories. Think, for example, of the Magic Keyboard for iPad, but also some iPad keyboard covers from Logitech. The advantage is that you don't have to charge the keyboards separately and thanks to the magnets everything clicks together easily.

Macotakara thinks that the port is used to provide accessories that are connected via the USB-c port with extra power. Apple will introduce the API DriverKit on the iPad in iPadOS 16, which will give accessory makers more options for connecting equipment. In addition to the current Smart Connector with 3-pin connection, Apple also has the MagSafe port on the Mac that has a 5-pin connection. But the MagSafe port, unlike the Smart Connector, is only used for power.


The first version with three contact points, on the side of the iPad.

What does this mean for current Smart Connector accessories?

It is quite possible that Apple will boost the specifications of the Smart Connector in the iPad Pro of 2022, since the connection is already seven years old. The question is, however, what this means for current accessories with the 3-pin Smart Connector. In any case, the position of the connection is decisive whether an accessory such as the Magic Keyboard for iPad will still fit. But if the shape of the connection also changes, that could just cause compatibility problems. Due to its high price, the Magic Keyboard is not just an accessory that you will soon replace. Perhaps Apple will make the new version of the Smart Connector backwards compatible, although in the past an adapter was required with the MagSafe port on the Mac.

The iPad Pro 2022 is expected this fall. Apple may announce this model in October. We expect the release of the iPad Pro 2022 sometime in that month. The main new features we expect from the iPad Pro 2022 are wireless charging, a new M2 chip and improved cameras.

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