Rumors Persist About iPad Pro, The Microsoft Surface Pro Competitor, As Release Date Comes Closer

According to most sources, Apple is set to release the iPad Pro this year. It could be announced as soon as next month, along with the new iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus. As the Wall Street Journal notes, Apple could be teaming with several businesses in order to make the iPad relevant again.

“The technology giant is working with more than 40 technology companies — many of them little-known makers of apps for accounting or sales presentations — to make the iPad a more appealing work tool.”

The Wall Street Journal adds that the new initiative is a bet for Apple to grab a bigger share of the market by reshaping the nature of work in mobile-friendly settings. Perhaps the rumored iPad Pro specs can help Apple achieve their goal. As Paste Magazine notes, the iPad Pro could have quite a screen.

“The main selling point of the iPad Pro, of course, is a bigger screen that can take advantage of the new split-screen multitasking features Apple has included in iOS 9. Some hidden code within iOS 9 may point to 2732 × 2048 screen resolution and a 12.93-inch display, which would situate the display at around 264 pixels per inch.”

It has been rumored for some time that the new iPad Pro may not even run iOS 9, but a desktop version of OS X instead. Perhaps, it may even run a hybrid of the operating systems. MacRumors talks about the rumor.

“A questionable rumor has suggested the iPad Pro could offer an iOS/OS X hybrid operating system, but this is unlikely as Apple executives have said time and time again that there are no plans to integrate iOS and OS X.”

Perhaps the most talked-about rumor considering the iPad Pro is that it will have stylus and digital handwriting support. In May, TechRadar talked about a new Apple stylus patent that may prove this rumor true. They note that Apple’s patent application shows a stylus, that when paired with tablet, offers 3D input based on factors such as the pen’s angle when touching the screen and the pen’s distance from the tablet.

TechRadar adds that rumors suggest the iPad Pro pen would connect to the iPad Pro through Bluetooth, making it similar to Microsoft’s Surface Pro, which has become the ultimate laptop/tablet hybrid. Apple likely hopes that by the time the Surface Pro 4 comes out in October, the iPad Pro can eat away some of its sales.

[Photo by Stephen Lam / Stringer / Getty Images]