iPad Plus Pro: Will Apple’s Giant-Sized Tablet Stop Lackluster Sales?

Apple appears set to give the world its biggest tablet yet in the form of the iPad Plus Pro.

Rumors have been swirling that the Apple iPad Pro is set to be launched in November as the company’s answer to Microsoft’s Surface tablets.

But despite its bravado, the orders Apple placed on its alleged flagship device seems to be quite low.

The website Digitimes claims the Cupertino-based company’s “upstream supply chain” will start sending components for the Apple iPad Pro in September as the device is being pushed to hit the market by mid-November.

“However, Apple is rather cautious about placing related orders and the initial shipment volume is much lower than most market watchers’ expectations,” the site wrote.

It’s understandable that Apple would want to err on the side of caution as iPad sales are currently experiencing a slump. A report shows that while Apple had a strong quarter, it was mostly due to robust iPhone sales while iPad sales fell 23 percent year-over-year.

But this isn’t solely an Apple problem. “Business Insider Intelligence” recently came out with a report that showed tablet sales have plateaued, with shipments of tablets declining by 6 percent.

Apple is hoping the iPad Pro and its 12.9-inch screen will do the trick and be the one to stop the decline. The plan is that coming up with a tablet with a screen size that’s almost equal to the 13-inch Macbook will make it easier for people to use it for various purposes, maybe even in lieu of a laptop.

It also puts the iPad Pro on an even keel with the 12.2-inch Samsung Galaxy Note Pro.

To that end, the company is making sure that the Apple iPad Pro has the appropriate features. It has even updated its software so that it’s geared towards multitasking.

An insider says that Apple is set to include an NFC radio with the iPad Pro so it can also be used for Apple Pay as a payment receiving terminal and allow it to be paired with accessories, like a new stylus that’s rumored to be in the design stage.

The humongous Apple iPad Pro is also rumored to have a new, more sensitive touchscreen, a 2K resolution and a 7mm thin profile. It’s also to be packing an 11,000 mAh battery.

The trend of bigger smartphones with bigger screens have certainly had a hand in the seeming redundancy of tablets, as the reasons why people used them for before – like watching videos or reading – can now be done via smartphones.

One study has even shown that people who have upgraded to an iPhone 6 Plus now use their tablets much lesser than before.

Hopefully, the Apple iPad Pro will be able to recapture the market and emphasize the flexibility and importance of the tablet in multitasking.

[Image via YouTube]