Rumors are rife that Apple is going to design the next-generation iPad Pro tablets based on the latest flagship handset, iPhone X. With this, it is believed that the iPad Pro 3 will launch in 2018 with an all-new bezel-less display, plus the Face ID system made possible by a powerful octa-core A11X Bionic chipset.
As reported by the Chinese website My Drivers, the iPad Pro 3 2018 models will include octa-core mobile processors based on the improved 7nm manufacturing process of Taiwanese supplier TSMC. This new 8-core chipset has no official name, although it is now being called as A11X Bionic. It is expected to include three high-performance core processors known as "Monsoon," plus five "Minstral" cores dedicated for energy-saving purposes.
The A11X Bionic chip is said to feature the same integrated fan-out wafer level packaging (InFO WLP) of the current A11 Bionic processors used in the current iPhone units. Still, the new A11X chipset is still superior as the A11 chip is built on a 10nm process, unlike the A11X's 7nm. Users can expect that the CPU performance will improve greatly with the A11X-powered iPad Pro 3 2018 model.
Aside from improved power-saving and processing features, the use of the new A11X Bionic chip will give way to artificial technology (AI) capabilities, such as full facial recognition. The chip will have the next-generation M11 coprocessor, which is expected to bring the iPhone X's famous Face ID technology into the next-gen iPad Pro 3 2018. For comparison, the current 10.5-inch and 12.9-inch version of the iPad Pro use the A10X Fusion chip based on 10nm manufacturing process.
MacRumors reported that the iPad Pro 3 2018 will be the first in the iPad series to highlight a widescreen view due to reduced bezels and the absence of a home button. However, the next-gen tablets are still expected to stick with LCD panels instead of OLED displays due to yield rates.
It is likely that the iPad Pro 3 will appear in the first or second quarter of 2018, or sometime between March and April.
