Apple is reportedly planning a major internal upgrade for its high-end tablet lineup. According to Mark Gurman’s Power On newsletter for Bloomberg, the company aims to bring vapor chamber cooling—first introduced in the iPhone 17 Pro—to the M6 iPad Pro, expected in the spring of 2027.
Apple added vapor chamber cooling to its A19 Pro chip, significantly boosting sustained performance on the iPhone 17 Pro. This same technology now appears poised to enhance thermals on future iPad Pro models. Gurman reports that Apple’s development teams are already working on incorporating the feature, aligning with the iPad Pro’s roughly 18‑month refresh cycle.
If accurate, vapor chamber cooling would become a key differentiator between the iPad Pro and the iPad Air. Although both lines may eventually share similar Apple Silicon chips, the Pro’s advanced thermal management could allow for higher sustained performance, setting it apart in Apple’s tablet lineup.
Gurman’s reporting history with Apple hardware leaks adds credibility to the claim, and the move seems entirely plausible given Apple’s long-term push to improve performance-per-watt efficiency across its products.
Compact Cooling Explained
A vapor chamber is a passive thermal solution that uses a condensed liquid to spread and dissipate heat more effectively than traditional heat pipes. Inside the chamber, liquid absorbs heat from the chip and evaporates. The vapor then travels to a cooler region of the chamber, where it condenses, releasing the heat. Capillary action in a wick structure returns the liquid to the hot zone, creating a continuous cooling cycle.
This approach works particularly well in compact devices such as smartphones and tablets, where space for fans or more complex cooling systems is limited. The iPhone 17 Pro’s implementation demonstrated how vapor chambers can mitigate thermal throttling without adding mechanical parts or increasing device thickness—advantages that translate neatly to the iPad Pro.
Broader Implications for Apple Hardware
If the technology performs as expected, Apple could consider extending vapor chamber cooling to other thin and fanless products, such as the MacBook Air. The design could enhance heat dissipation beyond what the aluminum chassis currently provides.
However, vapor chambers are not a one-size-fits-all solution. Larger devices like the MacBook Pro or Mac Studio already use efficient active cooling systems that offer better performance under sustained loads. For Apple, vapor chamber cooling makes the most sense in devices where compactness and silence are top priorities.
With the potential M6 iPad Pro, Apple appears ready to push that boundary yet again—delivering more power and efficiency in a slimmer, quieter form factor.
