Apple’s upcoming M6 iPad Pro might mark a significant turning point in the company’s hardware design, as new reports suggest it will be the first iPad to incorporate a vapor chamber cooling system. 
This advanced thermal solution, already introduced with the iPhone 17 Pro series, could finally give Apple’s tablets the cooling efficiency they’ve long needed to unleash their full potential.
For years, Apple has resisted adopting vapor chambers, favoring passive cooling methods such as graphene sheets and aluminum chassis designs to dissipate heat. These solutions worked well enough for lighter workloads, but as iPads evolved into serious productivity and gaming machines, their thermal constraints became increasingly apparent. The current M5 iPad Pro, while sleek and incredibly powerful, is reportedly limited by heat buildup during extended performance, preventing its M5 chip from maintaining high clock speeds for long periods.
According to Mark Gurman’s Power On newsletter, this will change with the M6 iPad Pro. Gurman’s sources indicate that Apple is actively testing vapor chamber technology for the new model, bringing it in line with the cooling solutions seen in high-end laptops and gaming devices. This upgrade could allow the M6 iPad Pro to handle more sustained performance, potentially supporting higher CPU and GPU core configurations – such as a 10-core CPU and 10-core GPU setup – matching or even surpassing the M5 MacBook Pro in specific workloads.
Thermal improvements would not only benefit professionals using the iPad for video editing, 3D rendering, or AI-assisted design but also elevate the gaming experience. Modern AAA titles, which demand consistent GPU output, could finally run longer and smoother without thermal throttling. With Apple’s increasing push into gaming – especially through macOS and iPadOS integration – the vapor chamber could be a game-changer in how iPads handle heavy processing loads.
However, implementing such a cooling system poses engineering challenges. Vapor chambers require space and structural adjustments, potentially forcing Apple to slightly increase the iPad’s thickness. Given the company’s obsession with thinness, this could lead to a delicate trade-off between form and function. Still, with Apple already promoting the iPad Pro as the “thinnest and most powerful device ever,” a marginal thickness increase might be a worthwhile compromise if it delivers significantly better sustained performance.
The rumor currently stands at an 80% probability rating based on multiple corroborations and technical feasibility. While nothing is officially confirmed, insiders seem confident that Apple will move forward with this enhancement in its next-generation tablet lineup. For now, enthusiasts and professionals alike are watching closely – hoping the M6 iPad Pro finally realizes the true potential of Apple Silicon in a tablet form factor.