The Apple Worldwide Developers Conference 2015 has come and gone, but the company still hasn't given any official word regarding an alleged 12-inch device referred to as the iPad Pro. However, according to a report from the Business Insider, there are hints that the device is being developed and these hints are linked to a new keyboard on iOS 9.
The keyboard is said to be the first iOS keyboard that can scale to a larger size, hinting that this feature is needed for a larger screen. The new keyboard design also resembles a more traditional design with larger Shift and Caps Lock keys, a Tab button, and symbol buttons such as $ and # located above the letters and numbers.
Having a larger, scalable keyboard isn't the only hint that there is a larger iPad in the works. According to a report from Mac Rumors, the iOS 9 beta code also indicates that there is a device that will sport a 2732 × 2048 pixel display at 264 ppi.
According to the Business Insider, the larger screen size and keyboard of the rumored iPad Pro would benefit the most from the announced Split View feature of iOS 9. With this feature, users can split their iPad's screen in half, allowing two different apps to run simultaneously. A person can then type in a document app on the bottom with a browser or another document open on top, among many other options and possibilities. This design gives iPad users more flexibility in terms of multitasking and is similar to how Microsoft Windows users can have multiple windows open at the same time.
The report also speculates that the iPad Pro might feature Touch Force, which senses how much pressure a person is applying while touching down on the screen; NFC technology; and a USB-C port which will allow the new device to have a wider range of connection opportunities.
