Has Apple Inc. finally ordered its supply chains to begin the mass production of the 12.9-inch iPad Pro?
MacRumors revealed information from KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, who said that the Cupertino-based tech firm will start the mass production for the largest iPad model to date sometime in the next two months.
Rumors about the bigger version of Apple Inc.'s tablet have been circulating for a while, saying that the device will come with a 2732 x 2048 pixel resolution display with 263 ppi pixel density. It is also said to have an overall dimension of 305.3 x 220.8 x 7 mm.
Other speculated features include Apple's next-generation A9 processor, a 2 GB of RAM, and the Touch ID that can be used for secure Apple Pay transactions.
It is also mentioned that the alleged iPad Pro device will come out with Force Touch technology that Apple Inc. first introduced in other devices like the Apple Watch, the Retina MacBook, as well as the 13-inch Retina MacBook Pro. This will allow the upcoming tablet device to have pressure sensitivity so that it can recognize soft and hard presses on the screen.
Kuo, the generally credible source of information on upcoming Apple devices, also predicted that Apple Inc. will release the iPad Pro with a special stylus that is compatible with the Force Touch technology. 9to5Mac posted the analyst's claim that a stylus would be a necessary accessory for the upcoming device if it will come with the same Force Touch structure used in the iPhone product line because a larger screen could not provide optimal functions.
"We also believe a Force Touch-enabled stylus will enhance productivity as it would offer more precise operation than using only fingers. Technically, we believe the stylus can be made compatible with iPad models other than the 12.9" version, but it depends on the support of software," the analyst said.
In addition, Kuo claimed that Taiwanese manufacturer Cheng Uei will supply the Force Touch-compatible stylus for iPad Pro.
If Kuo's reports turn out to be accurate, the iPad Pro device will be mass produced sometime in September or October, and it will come out later this year.
