Earlier rumors have suggested Apple would release its new 12.9-inch iPad Pro on Nov. 11. Sam's Club has already begun taking preorders, and the retailer claims it will be released on Nov. 13.
We first reported on Apple's 12.9-inch iPad Pro in March 2014, when a report claimed the company had shelved its large-size tablet due to "lack of support from related platform developers and ecosystems." Like many Apple rumors, this one refused to die.
In July 2014, a report surfaced that claimed Apple was planning to release the iPad Pro in the fall alongside the iPad Air 2 and iPad mini 3. When the company's annual iPad event took place, Apple only unveiled the 9.7-inch iPad Air 2 and 7.9-inch iPad mini 3, leaving many to wonder if the jumbo-sized slate had been shelved, as previous reports had suggested.
In mid-January of this year, iPad Pro rumors began to heat up again, when an image of what was reportedly a mold for the tablet's case leaked online. This was soon followed by a leaked image of what was supposedly a third-party case.
Apple finally put the iPad Pro rumors to rest when the company formally announced the tablet at its iPhone 6s/6s Plus launch event in September. The company never gave a specific launch date for the iPad Pro, only proclaiming it would ship in November.
In early October, a report suggested the iPad Pro, Apple Pencil and Smart Keyboard would go on sale in the first week of November. While Apple is remaining mum on an exact release date, Sam's Club has posted a Nov. 13 release date and has begun taking preorders for the tablet on its website, which now lists the iPad Pro as being "out of stock online."
Apple's SVP of software and services, Eddy Cue, showed off the iPad Pro publicly at Dropbox's Open conference on Nov. 4 and told attendees it would "only be a few more days" before they could get their hands on the slate. Apple typically likes to take preorders for its latest and greatest devices, and, most recently, opened preorders for its new Apple TV on Monday, Oct. 26 and released it on Friday, Oct. 30. It seems very plausible that the company could use the same strategy for the iPad Pro.
As always, we'll keep you posted on any new iPad Pro news as it becomes available. Are you planning to buy an iPad Pro? Let us know in the comments.
