iPad Pro Release Date & Specs: Larger, Thinner & Lighter Than iPad Air 2?
For a number of reasons, the new iPad Pro appears to find comparison in 2014's iPad Air 2. While the device has not been confirmed by Apple, an alleged case has recently popped online, turning prying heads around.
Citing information from French blog nowhereelse.fr, the Daily Mail reported that the new iPad is due "sometime between the months of March and April." Interestingly, the leaked case was said to come from a "reliable" source.
KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo expected the device to enter mass production in this year's second quarter, the Apple Insider wrote. If the reports hold truth, we'll likely see the iPad Pro before the second half of 2015 -- June would be the latest.
Also known as the iPad Air Plus, the iPad Pro was suggested to feature a screen measuring 12.2 to 12.9 inches. This is way larger than the iPad Air 2's 9.7-inch diagonal structure.
The current report follows an earlier leak, assumed to be the mold of the rumored tablet. The photograph was reportedly taken at Foxconn's factory in China. For those who may not know, Foxconn is known to be a manufacturer for Apple.
The mold was estimated to measure 12 inches tall, 8.7 inches wide and 0.27 inches thick (305.3mm x 220.8 mm x 7mm). In comparison, the iPad Air 2 is 9.4 inches tall, 6.6 inches wide and 0.24 inch thick (240 mm x 169.5 mm x 6.1 mm).
That said, the current iPad Air 2 might stay as the Cupertino giant's thinnest tablet to date, but we'll have to hear official word first.
In terms of weight, the iPad Air 2, for its two versions, vary in slight amount. The Wi-Fi model weighs 0.96 pound (437 g), while the Wi-Fi + Cellular variant comes at 0.98 pound (444 g).
Earlier in January, Business Insider cited an alleged 3D sketch of the iPad Pro, where slots for supposed volume buttons, speaker holes, power button and main camera hole are found. The outlet also took note of "four integrated speakers," expected to improve the device's sound system.
As suggested by the PC Advisor, prospects can expect the iPad Pro's thickness to come between 7 and 9 mm, while its weight would be around 550 g. The outlet seemed certain that the tablet will not measure over 700 g.
In addition, the source also predicted that the next iPad will pack a quad-core processor, partnered with at least 2 GB of RAM. Storage capacity was noted to be worth 128 GB.
What purpose will a larger iPad serve? Do you expect to see a lighter and thinner device? Tell us what you think in the comments below.