The next tablet that will come from Apple has long been rumored to be the iPad Pro. Although there have been initial reports that the next iPad from the American tech giant is to be called the iPad 6, it eventually died down in favor of the iPad Pro.
Apple has been launching its iPad lines during the fall in the last three years so it now comes as a surprise that reports have been coming out that the company will be launching the supposed iPad Pro in the upcoming Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) slated in June.
WWDC is an Apple event for developers to familiarize them with the latest iOS version and software upgrades from the company but according to Christian Today, the American tech giant may also use the opportunity to unveil the iPad Pro. Apple has yet to confirm this supposed launching of the latest iteration to its tablet.
Since the iPad 4 was unveiled in 2012, the company has been launching its tablets either in November or October. Apple launched its first iPad Air in November 2013 and last year, the iPad Air 2 was unveiled in October.
Given the company’s normal one-year product cycle for its device before uncorking its latest iteration, it has been widely believed by gadget experts that Apple will launch its latest tablet in October.
Split screen viewing and other features
One of the exciting rumors going around these days is that the iPad Pro will have a split screen viewing mode to enable users to use several applications simultaneously.
The mode is similar to the functionality of the Windows Snap Screen that is part of the key features of the Microsoft Xbox One as well as the Microsoft Windows 8 operating system.
Several reports also said that Apple will be releasing two screen sizes for the iPad Pro but no detail has been mentioned about the supposed two sizes.
Previous rumors about the screen size of the iPad Pro is that it will come out with a 12.9-inch display, making it the biggest among Apple’s tablet line.
The iPad Pro is said to be coming out with a pressure-sensitive stylus which is something that has never been seen with the Apple tablets before although it could be the company’s answer to the rumored feature of the Microsoft Surface Pro 4.
The latest tablet line from Apple shall also have the Force Touch on its screens, which the company just unveiled in March with the Apple Watch. This means that the screen of the iPad Pro will have a layer of sensors in order to detect how heavy a user is pressing the screen.
The iPad Pro shall reportedly come with the NFC technology feature which would enable the device to be used as a terminal for processing mobile payments made through Apple Pay.
Unforeseen delay
Initial reports indicated that the company was planning to start production of the iPad Pro in the first half of 2015 but apparently, the company shall be pushing the schedule to September because of unforeseen delay in the supply of the display panels needed for the production of the larger iPads.
The three likely providers of display panels to Apple for its larger iPad are Sharp Corporation, Japan Display, Inc., and LG Display Co.