Apple may introduce a vapor chamber in the next iPad Pro with M6, and is considering introducing ads to Maps in 2026

Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, who is extremely knowledgeable about Apple, has reported that the company is planning to equip the next-generation iPad Pro with a vapor chamber, which is expected to be released in 2027. Apple is also reportedly preparing to introduce advertising to its Maps app.

What's Next for the iPad Pro? iPhone 17 Pro-Like Vapor Chamber; Apple Maps Ads - Bloomberg
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/newsletters/2025-10-26/what-s-next-for-the-ipad-pro-iphone-17-pro-like-vapor-chamber-apple-maps-ads-mh7nq39h

Apple Reportedly Moving Ahead With Ads in Maps App - MacRumors
https://www.macrumors.com/2025/10/26/apple-moving-ahead-with-ads-in-maps/

The vapor chamber is a cooling mechanism that uses a liquid, such as pure water, sealed inside. When the liquid evaporates, it removes heat from the heat source, cooling the processor and other components. In the case of the iPhone 17 Pro, the chamber is filled with deionized water. The vapor created by the evaporation of the liquid diffuses within the chamber, condenses, and returns to liquid.

To understand the performance of the iPhone 17 Pro's vapor chamber, we measured the temperature under high load and summarized the results in the article below.

We measured the battery life and charging speed of the 'iPhone 17', 'iPhone 17 Pro', and 'iPhone Air' and checked whether they would become hot under high load - GIGAZINE

Garman pointed out that the iPad Pro is becoming thinner yet more powerful, making improved cooling performance essential. The iPad Pro with the M5 chip already has performance comparable to the Mac Studio's M1 Ultra, and the M6 chip, which will likely use a 2nm process, is expected to further improve efficiency. Since Apple refreshes the iPad Pro every 18 months, the iPad Pro with a vapor chamber is expected to be released around spring 2027.

Garman also reports that Apple is preparing to introduce advertising to Maps as early as 2026. This would allow restaurants and businesses to pay to appear at the top of search results within the app, a model similar to the search advertising model used in the App Store.

The ads on Maps will aim to have a more sophisticated UI than other services like Google Maps, and will use AI to display more relevant results. However, Garman commented that given that iPhones are already being used to advertise Apple's own services like Music and TV+, some users may be resentful, saying they don't want to spend their money on expensive devices to view ads.

Regarding Apple's 18-inch foldable iPad, development has reportedly been hampered by issues such as the weight, the difficulty of manufacturing the foldable OLED panel, and the projected price (over $3,000), causing the release to be delayed from the original 2028 date to 2029 or later. While it's unclear whether it will actually be released, Huawei is selling a similar foldable tablet, and Gurman noted that 'Apple could gain some insights from that.'