3 iPad Pro Features I Want on the iPhone

The iPhone could learn a lot from the iPad. That’s what I thought after Apple earlier this year introduced 2024 iPad Pro, which includes a range of new features that would feel right at home on the iPhone — especially future iPhone Pro or Pro Max models.

I’m referring to the iPad Pro’s exceptionally thin design, option for nano-texture glass and upgraded document scanning capabilities, all three of which would feel like a perfect match for the iPhone. While it’s true that the iPad Pro is being positioned as a portable and powerful work device, our smartphones are with us all the time — making lightweight designs, low reflectivity and the ability to capture receipts and other important documents on the go feel all that more important.

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There’s a precedent for new features arriving on the iPad Pro before trickling down to the iPhone. The 2020 iPad Pro gained a lidar scanner in March 2020 before that technology arrived on the iPhone 12 Pro later that year. Back in 2016, the 9.7-inch iPad Pro was the first to get Apple’s True Tone display for improving white balance, which made its way to the iPhone 8 lineup and iPhone X the following year. Apple’s ProMotion tech that dynamically adjusts the screen’s refresh rate for smoother scrolling is another example of a display improvement that debuted on the iPad Pro in 2017 before landing on the iPhone 13 Pro in 2021. 

Apple should continue that tradition by bringing newer iPad Pro features to the iPhone as well. 

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Why these features belong on future iPhones

The newest iPad Pro is Apple’s thinnest product ever, according to the company. With the 13-inch model measuring just 5.1 millimeters in thickness, it’s slimmer than the 8.25mm iPhone 16 Pro and the even sleeker 7.3mm iPhone SE by a large margin. (Apple is clearly on a kick when it comes to making products slimmer; the recently launched Apple Watch Series 10 is its thinnest watch yet). 

There’s a case to be made that thinness matters more in the iPad Pro since it reduces the system’s overall bulk when paired with keyboards and covers. But given that we carry our phones everywhere and reach for them 144 times per day, according to Reviews.org, such a dramatic reduction in thickness would go a long way. 

It could also make the larger iPhone Pro Max feel less cumbersome, perhaps winning over shoppers that may have passed on it before because of its heft. At a time when just about every other smartphone maker is exploring foldable devices, a dramatically slimmer look could put Apple’s iPhone design back in the spotlight.

The same could be said for the document scanner. Apple’s new iPad Pro models use artificial intelligence to identify documents in the camera app and reduce shadows by snapping multiple photos at once and stitching the scan together. If you’re anything like me, your phone is your primary tool for saving receipts during work trips and sharing photos of restaurant bills with friends when deciding how to split the cost. 

While it may not be the most exciting camera upgrade, it’s certainly a practical one. Data from business-to-business research firm Aberdeen Strategy & Research mentioned in a 2023 blog post indicates that 30% of employees have a smartphone just for work purposes, and 68% of employees use an iPhone, perhaps suggesting there may be more demand for an improved iPhone document scanner than expected. 

Apple seems to know that people use their iPhones for digitizing and sharing documents, as evidenced by the addition of Live Text in 2021, which recognizes text in photos so that you can copy-and-paste handwritten notes and more. An improved document scanner like the one on the new iPad Pro would be a great companion to this capability. 

Like the iPad Pro’s aforementioned superthin design, the document scanner also seems like a strong fit for future iPhone Pro Max models in particular. Apple’s larger size Pro iPhones are known for having the company’s top-of-the-line cameras, so it would make sense to see it gain a photography-oriented tool like this. The cameras on the iPhone Pro models already have an adaptive True Tone camera flash like the new iPad Pros. So if Apple were to bring this upgraded document scanning to the iPhone Pro Max, perhaps it could do so through a software update. 

A nano-texture display could also prove useful on the iPhone. As is the case with the iPad Pro and M4-powered MacBook Pro, Apple should offer it as a premium option for those who feel they need it, especially for the Pro models. The biggest benefit of a nano-texture display is better glare reduction, which could make the iPhone more competitive with Samsung’s Galaxy S24 Ultra, which tampers glare with its Corning Gorilla Armor coating. As I wrote in a previous story, a nano-texture display combined with the iPhone Pro’s more sturdy titanium body would make it a solid choice for outdoors enthusiasts. 

Will these changes actually come to future iPhones?

Apple never discusses new products and updates before it’s ready to announce them, meaning we won’t know what to expect from future iPhones until they arrive. Still, there’s some reason to believe Apple may indeed be working on a slimmer iPhone, although we may not see it until 2025. That’s according to reports from analysts Jeff Pu, Ross Young (as 9to5Mac has reported) and Ming-Chi Kuo, as well as news outlets The Information and Bloomberg. 

While there’s no improved document scanner in iOS 18,  Apple Intelligence does include a handful of productivity-oriented tools, such as features for rewriting text and erasing objects from images. There’s also no indication that Apple plans to ever bring a nano-texture display to the iPhone. 

Apple’s iPhone lineup has changed a lot over the years, particularly when it comes to the Pro and Pro Max models. Exploring a paper-thin design and improving the camera’s functionality in practical ways could help Apple further distinguish its pro-level phones from the standard iPhone.