Apple added anti-monitoring in the 2020 new iPad Pro, which ensures that the microphone is hardware-level disabled when the protective cover is connected to the iPad and closed.
This security feature was first introduced in MacBook models using the T2 security chip in 2018. It includes a hardware-level microphone disconnect feature that disables the microphone when the notebook computer cover is closed.
The updated version of Apple's Platform Security document clearly shows that when using the MFI-compliant protective case, all 2020 iPad Pro models can also use the anti-monitoring function (cannot provide microphone audio data to any software).
Apple last month updated the 11-inch and 12.9-inch iPad Pro models, equipped with a faster A12Z bionic chip, a new camera and a LiDAR depth scanner to improve the augmented reality experience.
For some 2018 iPad Pro users, these updates are relatively insignificant, but the new security features outlined in Apple's documentation may be sufficient to attract more privacy-conscious users.