Accessory manufacturers have all but ignored Apple’s proprietary iPad connector, and now a remake is in the pipeline.
With the next iPad Pro generation, Apple is said to be introducing a new Smart Connector. The previous three-pin design, unchanged since 2015, will be replaced by a new four-pin connector, according to the Japanese website Macotakara, citing sources at Chinese suppliers. The new 11-inch and 12.9-inch iPad Pro will keep the well-known body shape introduced in 2018, but will be equipped with the new extended Smart Connector.
Manufacturers can write device drivers for iPadOS
The Smart Connector 2 can possibly supply accessories with more power and should thus enable the operation of powerful peripherals connected via USB-C directly on the iPad, says the report. For the first time, iPadOS 16 allows hardware manufacturers to develop drivers for certain device categories, for example to enable the connection of Thunderbolt audio interfaces for the first time. In addition to audio, Apple’s DriverKit framework in iPadOS initially also supports USB and PCI peripherals. Concrete hardware announcements are still pending.
With the Smart Connector, Apple wanted to simplify the connection of peripherals in 2015 and create a basis for a new iPad accessories market, but the connection was practically ignored by other manufacturers. Apple itself uses the Smart Connector for its keyboard cases, and Logitech also offers keyboards – as well as a charging station, which is only designed for older iPad generations and has not been reissued.
With the new release of the iPad Pro in 2018, Apple moved the Smart Connector from the longer side of the tablet to the shorter side, making older accessories incompatible with the new models in one fell swoop. Whether peripherals designed for the previous Smart Connector with three pins can also be used on a four-pin connector remains to be seen.
New iPad Pro probably in the fall
The iPad Pro 2022 is expected in autumn, it may be presented in October – in parallel with a new entry-level model with a USB-C port. Apple’s recently introduced M2 chip is likely to be in the new iPad Pro, and there are also rumors about the integration of an inductive charging option.
