iPad Pro to Get iPhone 17 Pro's Vapor Chamber Cooling System [Gurman]

Apple is developing a vapor chamber cooling system for a future iPad Pro, with plans to integrate the feature as early as spring 2027, according to the latest newsletter from Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. The report also notes that Apple is making headway on a plan to bring ads to Apple Maps, while its larger 18-inch foldable iPad has hit development snags.

The move to add a vapor chamber to the iPad Pro follows the successful debut of the feature in the iPhone 17 Pro. Gurman notes that the cooling system allows the phone to handle intensive tasks without overheating or throttling performance, an issue that plagued earlier models like the iPhone 15 Pro and 16 Pro, which could become "uncomfortably hot to hold." A recent teardown confirmed the new hardware's existence.

With the iPad Pro's processing power rapidly increasing—the just-released M5 model benchmarks on par with an M1 Ultra Mac Studio—the need for better thermal management has become more critical. Gurman suggests the cooling system could be added to the iPad Pro around spring 2027, a timeline that would likely coincide with the arrival of the M6 chip. That processor is expected to be built on a new 2-nanometer process that will bring further boosts to performance and efficiency.


The newsletter also touches on other future products. Gurman notes that Apple's roughly 18-inch foldable iPad has run into development hurdles that could push its launch back, a detail that echoes a previous report suggesting the device may be delayed until 2029 or later. Additionally, the newsletter says Apple is making progress on a plan to introduce advertisements into Apple Maps.

The fanless cooling solution would help distinguish the iPad Pro from the iPad Air, which is set to get an M4 chip next year, and could eventually extend to other fanless devices like the MacBook Air. As with the iPhone, Gurman expects Apple will promote the feature as a marquee advancement.

Apple's new M5-powered iPad Pro is now available for purchase on Amazon in both 11-inch and 13-inch models.