iPad Pro 2 Set for June? iPad Mini Reportedly Discontinued
If the latest reports are anything to go by, a new iPad Pro will be unveiled by Apple at the Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) this June.
KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo believes that there is a 70-percent chance that a 10.5-inch iPad Pro could be launched next month.
The expert, who holds a reliable track record when it comes to predictions on future Apple releases, claims that the new iPad Pro will come with narrower bezels that will allow Apple to slot in a larger display but use the same form factor as the 9.7-inch iPad Pro from last year.
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Back in March, there was a report that this 10.5-inch iPad Pro will ditch the home button and will don a virtually bezel-less display that will allow it to easily blend in with the current iPhones. It is unclear if this will be the case for the one Kuo was talking about.
The analyst also said back in August that Apple will also come out with the 12.5-inch iPad Pro 2 and a low-cost 9.7-inch iPad Pro along with the 10.5-inch iPad Pro. It is unknown if this remains true since Kuo only mentioned the last one being revealed at the WWDC.
As Apple expands its iPad Pro line, the company is also reportedly discontinuing a tablet family — the iPad mini, which has not seen an update since 2015.
A source told BGR that the Plus versions of iPhones have taken the place of the iPad mini. The iPhone 7 Plus, for example, already has everything that a user needs on the go, making the small tablet look and feel unwieldy.
The iPad mini made sense when Apple has not entered the Plus territory yet, but now that bigger iterations have become the standard for its smartphone line, the need for the undersized tablet has been gradually discounted.
The same insider claims that the iPad mini has simply been "sized out of its own category" and it will be redundant to produce more when there are already iPhone Plus models, which diminished the demand for the smallest iPad anyway.
That being said, the iPad Pro appears to be the only product line left in Apple's tablet category. If the new 10.5-incher is indeed coming soon, fans will find out at the WWDC on June 8.
