A new report claims Apple is planning to release three new iPad Pro tablets in March 2017. The 12.9-inch and 9.7-inch will be updated, and a 10.9-inch bezel-less model will be the same size as the 9.7-inch iPad Pro.
Recent reports have claimed that Apple isn't planning to release an updated version of its iPhone SE in at a press event in March 2017 and is instead reportedly planning to release next-generation versions of its 12.9-inch iPad Pro and 9.7-inch iPad Pro. The company is also slated to introduce a new member to its iPad Pro family in the form of a new 10.9-inch model, with a unique display. A group of analysts are reporting that the company will introduce the three new iPad Pro models and will offer one at a much more affordable price.
According to a research note obtained by MacRumors from Barclays Research analysts Blayne Curtis, Christopher Hemmelgarn, Thomas O'Malley, and Jerry Zhang, Apple will launch three new iPads in March 2017. The new iPads will consist of updates to both the current 12.9-inch and 9.7-inch iPad Pro. The analysts say that Apple is planning to price the 9.7-inch iPad Pro at a lower price and market it as a "low-cost" tablet alongside the current iPad mini 4, which is not expected to be updated. Low-cost could mean the return of the $499 or lower starting price that Apple has offered its 9.7-inch iPads for, before the same sized screen iPad Pro was released in March with a more expensive starting price of $599.
The most interesting information pertains to a new 10.9-inch iPad Pro that will supposedly feature a bezel-less display and will allow the slate to be the same size as the 9.7-inch iPad Pro, which has bezels and a physical Home button. Next year's iPhone 8 is widely expected to feature a bezel-less curved display that will have a virtual force touch Home button and Touch ID fingerprint scanner embedded directly into the display, which might make its debut on the upcoming 10.9-inch iPad Pro.
iPad Pro fans should expect new accessories that make use of the tablet's Smart Connector, which allows the tablets to easily connect to accessories via a proprietary port that saves power since it does not require Bluetooth.
The 2017 iPad Pro models may also support an updated version of Apple Pencil, which would lower the price of the first-generation model, while the Apple Pencil 2 would be more fine-tuned and gain additional features. As always, we'll keep you posted on any new iPad Pro details as they become available.
