It is hard to believe that Apple will switch to a larger screen for its iPad Pro, as the company’s tendency was to shrink its devices and do whatever necessary to achieve the peak of compactness. Additionally, it took forever to switch from a 4-inch Iphone to the current 4.7.
Moreover, Apple’s iPads shrank over time. If anybody recalls, iPad Air although maintained its display’s original size, it gradually scrapped so much of its bodywork that iPad Mini lost any relevant size-related advantages.
Yet, sources familiar with the matter claim that Apple is about to roll out a 12.9-inch version of iPad Pro. The rumor dates back to 2012, while the idea of a larger iPad caught public’s attention a year later fueled by some leaks from reliable sources.
There are also rumors that the new iPad Pro will feature a stylus, which will be sold as an optional accessory, so users won’t be forced to pay for it if they do not want it.
However, the larger iPad’s release date remains largely unknown. Sources can only speculate. One of the sources suggests that the rollout is scheduled during this year’s second quarter because Apple’s filed patents related to stylus recently grew, while several others claim that a roll out is not possible until September due to supply issues.
But the source couldn’t tell for sure whether the new iPad would have an integrated stylus or the latter would roll out as a separate accessory. Nevertheless, Apple’s decision to bundle the products may result in a major marketing failure because of a disappointingly-high retail price, the source claims.
On the other hand, the company is very secretive about its new iPad’s feature, price and release date. We only know that the device will be named either iPad Pro or IPad Air Plus and it will feature oxide display.
But as LG boosted its display production, sources believe that the release date is very close. A spokesperson for LG Display recently disclosed that his company’s scheduled a production of 30,000 oxide displays for this year’s second quarter. LG also disclosed that Apple’s new iPads will have a 12.9-inch display.
The only competitor Apple has for its stylus technology is Samsung which has already implemented the device into its Galaxy Note line. As some people speculate that Apple’s stylus will target business sector due to a recent partnership with IBM for the development of corporate applications, a plain old keyboard may be a lot more useful.
So, Apple may address other professionals such as video editors and photography experts who may find the device very handy when working on the fly. Besides a stylus and a larger display, the new tablet will be a lot powerful than its predecessors.
According to rumors, iPad Air will run on an A9 chipset and 4GB of RAM. If that is true, the new iPad will be the most powerful device of its kind ever produced by Apple.
Moreover, iPad Pro is expected to have four speakers and an iOS / OS X cross-over.
Rumors also said that the new device will be available in a wide range of models from the 16 GB one to the 128 GB version. Also, the new device may have USB ports that are 10 times faster than our current technology.
Image Source: iMore