Earlier speculations pointing to the new iPad Pro's release in March are confirmed, according to a new report.
According to Japanese blog Mac Otakara, Apple will be hosting an event in March for the launch of the new iPad Pro models and other devices. Apple CEO Tim Cook told MacRumors sometime ago that the Cupertino-based tech company is working on "exciting things." Perhaps he was referring to the devices they will allegedly launch next month.
Mac Otakara said Apple will start shipping the new 9.7-inch iPad Pro, 12.9-inch iPad Pro, and the 7.9-inch iPad Pro mini by the end of March. Additionally, it will be announcing the new 10.5-inch iPad Pro at the March event, and then start shipping it by May.
Should this report prove true, it would confirm earlier predictions made by Barclays analysts Blayne Curtis and Christopher Hemmelgarn. They told Business Insider at the time that they are expecting Apple to release three new bezel-less iPads – a low-cost 9.7-inch model, a refreshed 12.9-inch iPad Pro, and a new 10.9-inch model that has the same physical size as a 9.7-inch iPad but with a borderless screen.
The report would also confirm what KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said with regard to Apple's iPad Pro plans. Earlier, Kuo said that Apple will be releasing a 9.7-inch model, a new 10.5-inch iPad Pro model, and an upgraded 12.9-inch iPad Pro model. These models are believed to have the A10X processor running under the hood for top-notch performance.
A January report from DigiTimes, however, says that Apple might not release – even announce – these said iPad Pros until June this year. Citing sources from the "related upstream supply chain," it said Apple is still in the planning stage, will mass produce the 9.7-inch model in the first quarter, and the 10-5-inch and 12.9-inch iPad Pro models in the second quarter.
In addition, Apple reportedly plans to sell the 9.7-inch iPad at low cost, intended for the educational sector. It then plans to sell the 10.5-inch and the 12.9-inch to the high-end market.
