The iPad Pro 2021 is an impressive tablet, with high-end hardware and enough productivity software to replace a laptop for some people. However, the aluminum body won't work well with the MagSafe charging technology that Apple has adopted on its mobile devices. According to a new report, Apple was experimenting with an iPad Pro that had an all-glass back cover, but the idea has supposedly been dropped.

Apple has been developing prototypes for a future iPad Pro with glass back covers, as reported by Bloomberg in June of last year, which could have allowed easy wireless charging. However, in what is likely a surprise to no one, the all-glass iPads were more fragile and easy to shatter. A new report from 9to5Mac claims Apple has now scrapped that idea, and is currently experimenting with a different approach.

Apple is now allegedly experimenting with an iPad Pro that has a larger Apple logo made of glass, which could be used to transfer power from a MagSafe charger. The prototype also apparently has stronger magnets than on the iPhone and a higher maximum charging speed — MagSafe on the iPhone currently tops out at 15W (or 12W on the iPhone 12 Mini).

9to5Mac also believes the next iPad Pro will include a larger battery, a camera module similar to the iPhone 13's camera array, and a new System-on-a-Chip (SoC). The new chip might be the Apple M2, which is also rumored to show up in a MacBook Air revision sometime this year.

The current iPad Pro 2021 is sold in both 11-inch and 12.9-inch sizes, both with IPS displays, Apple M1 chips, up to 2TB of storage and 16GB RAM, 20W USB Type-C charging, Thunderbolt 3, FaceID, multiple rear cameras, Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.0, optional LTE and 5G connectivity, and Apple's iPadOS software. The M1 chip is also found in the current MacBook Air and iMac 24-inch.