iPad Pro 2018 Release Date, Specs Rumors: New Products to Launch Next Month?
The iPad Pro 2018, as the next iteration of the iPad Pro is sometimes referred to, could be coming as early as next month. The alleged new line of iPads could be powered by a faster A11X chip as well, as suggested by earlier rumors.
New developments involving Apple's suppliers could hint at a new line of Apple products coming out as early as next month, according to unconfirmed reports from sources positioned in the supply chain. The speculation, which was reported by Digitimes via 9 to 5 Mac, suggests that a new generation of iPad could be among them.
According to the report, a components manufacturer called SPT is ready for the next batch of orders from Apple, which will prove to be sizeable in the coming months, as sources say.
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SPT is notable for its "pearl bright" nickel processing technology that Apple will incorporate into the new generations of iPhones, iPads and MacBooks which could debut as early as March this year, as DigiTimes noted.
With the iPad and iPad pro lines pared down to a bare minimum compared to what Apple used to sell at the height of the popularity of tablets, the next iPad Pro for 2018 could likely carry on the 9.7-inch form factor.
This new tablet, which will be aimed at the mid-range device market, would only be 9.7-inch diagonally and could start at around $259 for the smaller iPad model, according to reports. Last year's line of iPad Pros has also adopted the new A-series chips, similar to those powering the iPhones a generation behind.
The same trend could continue for this year, with the 2018 iPad Pro possibly including a chip based on the A11 Bionic chips found in the iPhone 8 and iPhone X. A newer A11X chip that could go into the new iPad Pros may have eight processor cores and a cutting-edge 7 nanometer process, with enough power to support Face ID and advanced image and video processing.
