New iPad Pro Release Date Rumors Point To WWDC 2017 In June
A new iPad Pro has been heavily hinted to be coming during Apple’s annual WWDC event next month. It’s a new addition to the family that will fit right in between the 9.7-inch and 12.9-inch variants available today.
New iPad Pro Variant Will Sport New Design
What propelled Apple to decide to release another tablet variant – on top of the two iPad Pros, the new 9.7-inch iPad, and the iPad Mini 4 – is unknown. But if the recent leaks prove to be legit, we will see a Pro version with a 10.5-inch display fitted into a 9.7-inch chassis.
This may be comparable to the 12-inch MacBook, which, despite having the same screen size as the 13-inch MacBook Air, is much smaller in size. In a similar fashion, we will likely see a new iPad Pro with a full-display front. Apple will have to trim down the bezels by a lot, and if it looks exactly as in our minds, then it will be unlike any tablet out in the market so far.
This would also mean that the physical home button will be a goner just like in the Samsung Galaxy S8. But where will the fingerprint sensor go? It won’t make sense to put it at the back, as it will be hard to reach considering that a tablet is a large device. Instead, it will likely be embedded in the screen.
So will Apple release this tech ahead of the iPhone 8’s release later this year? According to BGR, this move seems unlikely. Samsung has not even successfully achieved it yet, which led it to put the sensor at the back. This is the kind of technology that will set the standards high for all succeeding flagships, and it will be better to introduce it via Apple’s 10th anniversary iPhone rather than on the new iPad Pro size.
But let’s leave that problem to Apple.
10.5-inch iPad Pro To Be Unveiled During WWDC?
When the reliable KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo indicated that a 10.5-inch iPad Pro is in the works, many were doubtful of this information. But ever since the entry-level 9.7-inch iPad, which he also previously suggested, was released in March, the launch of the said Pro variant became more convincing.
Now, we may have our first mention of the 10.5-inch version with its release date to boot. 9to5Mac reported of an Urban Armor Gear inventory listing, which includes cases for “iPad 10.5.” These cases are due for release in June 2017. Coincidentally, WWDC lands in that month.
Urban Armor Gear prepping case for 10.5-inch iPad Pro, with June availability https://t.co/ivd6EQOrY4 pic.twitter.com/hdygYN549z
— 9to5Mac (@9to5mac) May 10, 2017
The Worldwide Developers Conference this year has already been confirmed for June 5 to 9 in San Jose, California. Although Apple primarily focuses on software during this event, there are rare cases where a hardware is announced. Thus, it is well likely that the new iPad Pro will be revealed at this time together with its bigger sibling, the iPad Pro 2, that is also expected in June, Inquisitr previously reported.
Another possibility is that Apple will once again silently introduce its new gadgets by releasing a couple of press releases. The iPad 2017 and the (RED) iPhone 7 were both announced this way in March amid reports of an event happening in that month. Although it is unlikely that it the company will do this for an entirely new product, the possibility still remains.
As of now, there is not enough information about the 10.5-inch iPad Pro that would give us an idea about its looks and performance. But given that it is has the Pro moniker, it should be capable of handling heavy duty tasks like its Pro siblings. It is also likely to adopt the True Tone display from the iPad Pro 9.7 and support for the Apple Pencil.
We will know more in WWDC and if not, hopefully before June ends.
[Featured Image by Apple]
