Apple may have revealed what the next iPad Pro design will look like, based on an icon found in the recently released iOS 12 developer beta 5.
The fifth developer beta version of iOS 12 also contained code that references a second physical SIM tray, hinting that this year's iPhone models may carry dual SIM support. The operating system update is not all about iPhones, though, as it also dropped a major hint on a new iPad Pro.
iOS 12 Beta Reveals New iPad Pro Design
There have been rumors that a new iPad Pro is coming as soon as this year, and an icon found in iOS 12 developer beta 5 may have confirmed that it will follow the general look of the iPhone X.
The icon, which appears in the battery usage UI of iOS 12, is named HLSipad2. While the previous HLSipad icon showed a tablet with large bezels at the top and bottom to house the camera and home button, respectively, the HLSipad2 looks very different. Its bezels are slim all around, similar to the nearly bezel-less look of the iPhone X.
Unlike the iPhone X, however, the new iPad Pro design looks like it will not have a notch. There are two possibilities: either the top bezel of the next iPad Pro will still be wide enough to have space for the front camera module without needing to incorporate a notch, or the icon is too small to add such a detail to it.
If this is indeed the new iPad Pro design, it would not be the first time that a software update revealed information about an upcoming Apple product. Last year, a HomePod smart speaker firmware update contained an image of a nearly bezel-less smartphone, which turned out to be the iPhone X.
Next-Generation iPad Pro Rumors
Reports from late last year claimed that the next-generation iPad Pro will be powered by a new octa-core chip named A11x Bionic, giving the upcoming tablet a performance boost.
More recent iPad Pro rumors, meanwhile, suggest that the new iPad Pro will receive Face ID. However, the facial recognition feature will only reportedly work when the tablet is in portrait mode. This would mean that the smart keyboard connector may be relocated to beside the Lightning port.
The new iPad Pro is also said to be dropping the 3.5 mm headphone jack. Unlike the iPhones, which come with a free Lightning to 3.5 mm adapter, the next iPad Pro will not be offering the accessory for free.
