Apple has begun to introduce its latest batch of hardware for this year, starting with the updated 9.7-inch iPad tablet. Aside from the entry-level iPad model, the Cupertino-based tech giant is reportedly planning to unveil a refreshed iPad Pro soon. If the rumors are anything to go by, Apple will announce the brand new iPad Pro, featuring the key features and design of the company's current flagship handset, the iPhone X, at the Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) 2018 this June.
There is no confirmation from Apple regarding the anticipated refresh of the iPad Pro model in 2018, moreso the expected new features following the hardware update. Nevertheless, it is widely believed that the iPad Pro 2018 will follow the footsteps of the iPhone X by having a radical design.
It was tipped that the iPad Pro 2018 will sport an all-screen display with very minimal bezels. To note, the current generation of the iPad Pro already has trimmed down bezels on the sides, but the upcoming 2018 model will have the top and bottom bezels further reduced. As a consequence, the new iPad Pro will no longer have a home button.
With the home button gone, the iPad Pro 2018 will no longer rely on the Touch ID feature for unlocking and authentication. Instead, the iPad Pro will use the same facial recogniton technology of the iPhone X. Through Face ID system, users will have an easier time to access the iPad Pro by just looking at the front image sensors.
As the iPad Pro 2018 uses the Face ID, the tablet is expected to get the iPhone X-like notch on the top portion of the display, where the TrueDepth camera sensors are placed.
KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo was the first to predict that the iPad Pro 2018 will receive the same overhaul treatment given by Apple to the iPhone series. However, it is uncertain how much of the iPhone X's features will end up in the new iPad Pro build.
For now, the public can check out Apple's latest iPad device unveiled last week at Lane Tech High School in Chicago. The catch in this refreshed iPad is that it now supports the Apple Pencil, which was first made exclusive to the high-end iPad variants.
