Future iPads may borrow this iPhone 17 Pro feature to improve performance

If accurate, the 2027 iPad Pro lineup could represent a major leap in Apple’s ongoing effort.

Apple is reportedly working on bringing one of the iPhone 17 Pro’s standout hardware features, vapor chamber cooling, to the iPad Pro lineup in the coming years. The change could give future iPads a noticeable performance advantage and further separate the Pro models from the iPad Air range.

While iPads generally have more room for heat dissipation than iPhones, they still face limits when handling heavy workloads.(AFP)

According to Bloomberg’s Power On newsletter by Mark Gurman, Apple plans to include vapor chamber cooling in its next major iPad Pro refresh, expected around spring 2027. The upcoming models are likely to feature the M6 chip, and the new cooling system could help sustain higher performance levels for longer periods without overheating.

Vapor chamber cooling - How it works

Apple introduced vapor chamber cooling with the A19 Pro chip in the iPhone 17 Pro. The technology helps manage heat efficiently in compact devices by circulating liquid inside a sealed chamber. The liquid absorbs heat from the chip, evaporates, moves to a cooler area, and then condenses back into liquid form. This continuous process spreads heat evenly and prevents thermal throttling, allowing the processor to run at higher speeds without overheating.

Why Apple is adding it to the iPad Pro

While iPads generally have more room for heat dissipation than iPhones, they still face limits when handling heavy workloads such as gaming, 3D rendering, or professional editing tasks. By adopting vapor chamber cooling, Apple could unlock more performance potential from the M6 chip without increasing device thickness or adding noisy fans.

The move would also further distinguish the iPad Pro from the iPad Air, which often shares similar chipsets but lacks advanced cooling systems. The addition of vapor chamber cooling could make the Pro models better suited for sustained high-performance tasks.

What’s next

Gurman notes that Apple’s long-term roadmap may include expanding vapor chamber technology to other fanless devices like the MacBook Air. However, larger products such as the MacBook Pro and Mac Studio already rely on efficient active cooling systems, making vapor chambers less necessary there.

If accurate, the 2027 iPad Pro lineup could represent a major leap in Apple’s ongoing effort to balance power and thermal efficiency across its devices.