While iPad Air 2 was thought to be Apple's flagship tablet thanks to its A8X chipset and 9.7 inch Retina display, the Cupertino tech giant is attempting to slow down the sales of laptops and their accessories with the release of its iPad Pro, which is expected to be possessing a screen size of 12.9 inches. According to WCCFtech, the iPad Pro is expected to be fitted with Apple's A9X SoC, since the tech firm's A9 chipsets will already be present inside the upcoming batch of iPhones.
The website states that due to its large form factor, Apple will make the large screen slate thicker than the iPad Air 2 but only by a small amount. The upcoming product is expected to feature a thickness of 7 mm while the iPad Air 2 will possess one measuring 6.1 mm. Additionally, the large size will also warrant incorporation of extra features, such as two more speakers at the head of the tablet for a surround sound quality.
As for the pricing, it is expected that the upcoming slate will feature a base model price that will be much higher compared to the starting price of iPad Air 2. Currently, iPad Air 2 is retailing for $499 for the base model, so it is possible for the tech giant to price the starting model of iPad Pro from $699. Similar to the company's current flagship tablet, iPad Pro might also be shipped out in the 16, 64 and 128 GB capacity variants.
As for the release date, Apple will be looking to launch during Q4, 2015, which is around the same period that Microsoft is set to announce its Surface Pro 3 successor, Surface Pro 4. Surface Pro 4 is expected to feature the same screen size as iPad Pro, making the two slates battle each other out in order to be crowned the new king of the tablet market for 2015.
