A new iPad Pro variant is speculated to arrive when the second generation of the powerful slate arrives next year. Rumors suggest that a 10.5-inch model will also be available.
Analyst Ming-Chi Kuo of KGI Securities predicted earlier that Apple could introduce a new 10.5-inch iPad Pro next year. This is in addition to the 12.9-inch and 9.7-inch models. It seems Apple wants to cover all of the market bases in terms of screen size. The company still has the 7.9-inch model, the iPad mini, and the iPad Air 2, followed by the iPhone Plus models that cover the 5.5-inch display market.
Kuo said: "We expect three new iPads (12.9-inch iPad Pro 2, new size 10.5-inch iPad Pro & low-cost 9.7-inch iPad) to be launched in 2017, though this may not drive shipment growth amid structural headwinds; 2017F shipments to fall 10-20% YoY."
He then added: "If the iPad comes in a larger size, such as a 10.5-inch model, we believe it will be helpful to bid for tenders within the commercial and education markets. As a result, we expect Apple to launch a 10.5-inch iPad Pro in 2017."
Moreover, it is rumored that the 12.9 and 10.5-inch will be powered by the newest A10X, while the smallest screen-sized model will retain the A9X chip, which will make it the cheapest model for the iPad Pro 2 line.
Back in July, a set of photos was received by Apple Insider, and these photos seem to originate from a Chinese supplier working on the next iteration of the tablet. The images showed an MH1C2CD/F model number, and it is believed to be a prototype because of its small internal storage size. The alleged devices only show 12 GB of space, just enough to load the iOS 10 operating system. However, it lacks any frame-size reference, to determine its actual size. Nothing more came after that.
For the meantime, the community is speculating that the iPad Pro 2 could arrive with a 12-megapixel main camera, capable of recording 4K videos, and a 5-megapixel one at the front. The display screen could feature "True Tone," and a 32 GB storage option is also available for the cellular-capable variant. A better Smart Keyboard solution is also expected to come along.
