Apple's upcoming iPad Pro has been reported to land simultaneously on physical and online store shelves on November 11. The device, which is the tech giant's largest iPad to date, has been introduced in early September along with key accessories such as the Apple Pencil and the Smart Keyboard.
These details have yet to be confirmed by the Cupertino-based company and has been shared by Mark Gurman of tech blog 9to5Mac, who has a reputation for providing fairly accurate predictions about upcoming Apple devices.
However, the supposed November 11 release date falls on a Wednesday, which also happens to be the Veterans Day holiday in the United States--a fact that may cast doubt on the accuracy of the report, Apple Insider noted. Historically, the company has preferred to steer clear of holiday launches and typically unveil products on a Tuesday or Friday.
As mentioned, Apple will also be launching the Smart Keyboard and Apple Pencil, apart from the 12.9-inch iPad Pro. These peripherals will allow the tablet to somewhat function like a MacBook. That said, Apple will possibly market it as a direct competitor of the Surface Pro tablet-PC hybrid from Microsoft.
The upcoming iPad Pro, which is apparently inspired by iPad Air 2's aesthetics, has a massive 12.9-inch display with 2732×2048 resolution. It is equipped with Apple's new proprietary A9X chipset partnered with a generous serving of 4GB RAM. On the company's product page, the iPad Pro is described as having an "expansive 12.9-inch Retina display, nearly double the CPU performance of iPad Air 2, and refined Multi-Touch technology, iPad Pro adds another dimension to that experience."
Furthermore, the device is capable of displaying 3D images, handle 4K video and RAW photo editing software. For instance, AutoCAD 360 and Adobe Photoshop Fix are some of the resource-demanding third-party apps supported.
In the photography department, the iPad Pro is furnished with an 8-megapixel iSight rear camera that provides support burst shots, panoramas, and HD video recording. Its front shooter is a 1.2-megapixel FaceTime HD camera that also supports face detection and 720p video. The giant iPad, however, does not come with an LED flash.
The device maker says that the Apple Pencil can deliver up to 12 hours worth of battery life and can be charged using a Lightning connector. Apple mentioned that it was sensitive to both tilt and pressure, allowing users to create a variety of artistic strokes and effects. Meanwhile, the Smart Keyboard also serves as a protective case and can be connected to the tablet using the "Smart Connector" that also functions to recharge it.
The iPad Pro is set to become Apple's priciest iPad ever, starting at $799 for the 32 GB model heading up to $1,079 for the 128 GB model. Although both variants support 802.11ac Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 4.2 connectivity, only the 128 GB model supports LTE network and Nano SIM.
