Apple has a nearly bezel-free 10.9-inch iPad Pro under development, according to Japanese website Mac Otakara. It might also come without a Home button.
The report said the nearly bezel-free design would permit the 10.9-inch version to possess the same overall footprint as the existing 9.7-inch iPad Pro. A top bezel will remain to offer space for the front-facing FaceTime camera, but the bottom bezel will be decreased, based on supply chain sources cited.
The much-rumored 10.9-inch model will also be marginally thicker at 7.5mm, which is the same depth as the original iPad Air. The current 9.7-inch iPad Pro in India measures 6.1mm thick. The next 12.9-inch model will also be 0.3mm thicker at 7.2mm, while a rumoured 7.9-inch iPad Pro would allegedly probably have the same sizing as the iPad mini 4.
Earlier, a group of Barclays analysts said Apple would launch three new iPad Pro models in March, including the aforementioned bezel-free 10.9-inch model and renewed 9.7-inch and 12.9-inch models. The note equally stated that the 10.9-inch model would have a 9.7-inch footprint without a Home button.
Multiple rumours have been purported towards a new iPad in the range of 10-inch, but the correct screen size varies in each report. Ming-Chi Kuo, KGI Securities analyst, thinks it’ll be 10.5 inches. This view is supported by DigiTimes, while an earlier report by Mac Otakara report says 10.1 inches. Mac Otakara and Barclays presently seem to come to a truce on 10.9 inches.
Mac Otakara in a previous statement said the 10.9-inch iPad Pro would include quad microphones, much similar to the dual-microphone setup on existing iPad Pro India models, and still, have a 3.5mm headphone jack. More drastic changes, notably a switch to OLED displays, are projected in 2018, based on reports by Kuo.
It is not the first time we’ve gotten news that Apple was developing an iPad in the 10-inch size range; however, we haven’t heard what the exact screen size would be until now.
On top of the new bezel-less iPad, analysts also expect Apple to release a new 9.7-inch, low-cost iPad Pro, which will be sold alongside the iPad Mini. Analysts don’t expect the iPad Mini to get an update — instead, Apple will continue selling the iPad Mini 4, which was released by Apple in September 2015.
It’s also said that the 12.9-inch iPad Pro will receive its update. Some expect the device to get a True Tone display, like the smaller 9.7-inch device. That display uses a series of ambient light sensors to change the colour of the screen depending on the colour and intensity of the light that is surrounding the iPad, ensuring that it always appears to look natural. The 12.9-inch iPad Pro will also apparently get the 12MP rear-facing camera from the 9.7-inch device.
All three of the new iPad models will reportedly get quad microphones and will keep the headphone jack, unlike the new iPhone 7.
While the release of 9.7-inch and 12.9-inch iPads up-to-date with Apple’s newest processors at some point is glaring, it’s the latest 10.9-inch model that’s most exciting. Analysts stipulate that the tablet will do without the borders that typically surrounds the screen, hence turning it into an edge-to-edge display. As a result, the latest model will be able to keep up with the same physical size as the present 9.7-inch iPad Pro.
The remainder of Barclays’ prediction is that Apple will sell the three larger iPad models alongside each other, with the 9.7-inch model becoming the “low-cost” option, despite maintaining the “Pro” name. The 7.9-inch iPad Mini isn’t expected to be refreshed anytime soon, but the existing model, first released in September 2015, will continue to be manufactured and sold.
There have been rumours about 10.1 to 10.5-inch iPad for a couple of months now and rumours about next year’s iPhone featuring a design without bezels for much longer than that. Probably Apple has been thinking of a brand-new iPad size/design for a while and has taken the decision to use it to launch an edge-to-edge display in anticipation of the next iPhone.
Rumours drop yet more exciting updates on Apple’s latest toys. The upgrades comprise the installation of quad microphones which provides the iPads with a critical sound quality boost. Furthermore, the new iPads will hold on to the 3.5mm headphone jacks that were detached from the latest instalment of the iPhone.
Speculations go on to claim that the most recent iPad models will feature Apple’s newest tech that was patented early in 2015. These comprise ultrasonic imaging that is more highly developed than the existing fingerprint sensors.