Your next iPad Pro could look like a Mac and cost even more

The M2 iPad Pro isn't going to get an upgrade this year: it hasn't celebrated its first birthday yet. But the 2024 model is sounding pretty exciting, and Apple is now turning its attention to the iPad Pro's accessories too. According to a new report, it's redesigning the Magic Keyboard that'll make Apple's most powerful iPad more like a laptop.

The current Magic Keyboard already looks pretty laptop-y, but when you sit it next to a MacBook Pro the differences are still quite stark – especially in the relative size of the trackpad, which is quite small on the accessory compared to the larger laptop. According to Mark Gurman of Bloomberg, that trackpad's going to get a lot bigger for the 2024 version.

What to expect from the iPad Pro and Magic Keyboard

According to Gurman, the redesign of the accessory is "extensive" and the area around its keyboard will be made of aluminium that looks like the top case of a MacBook. That'll address one of the key criticisms of the current model, which is that it isn't sturdy enough. The outside will keep the current silicone material and feature a single USB-C port. 

Inevitably the redesign means we'll probably see a price hike. The Magic Keyboard is already an expensive add-on – in the UK, the 11-inch is £319 and the 12.9-inch is £379 – and it's expected to go up in price as it's going to be made of more premium materials.

As for the iPad Pros, we're expecting the 2024 versions to be very significant upgrades. The M3 chip is a certainty, offering the usual performance and efficiency upgrades, but we're also expecting these Pros to come with OLED displays and very slightly larger screens thanks to thinner bezels. An even bigger 14-inch iPad Pro was apparently in development but has since been shelved or cancelled. 

Like the Magic Keyboard, those iPads could be getting a price hike alongside the spec bump. A report in electronics trade publication The Elec quoted industry sources who said that the 2024 OLED iPad Pros will start at $1,500 to $1,800 for the 11 and 13 inch models. The current iPad Pros start at $799 and $1,099, while the 13-inch MacBook Pro M2 is $1,299. Stick a Magic Keyboard on the twelve-incher and you could be looking at $2,200 or more.