Apple is still mulling over the design of the next iOS tablet, news that confirms a report that it has pushed back production of the rumored iPad Pro.
Sources cited by The Wall Street Journal say Apple has yet to finalize the design of the rumored 12.9-inch iPad Pro, so named by the technology press, and is considering adding a USB 3.0 port to the device. USB ports are not available in any of the existing iPads.
USB 3.0 is a much preferred technology over its predecessor because it can transfer large amounts of data, such as when backing up the iPad Pro's content to a USB hard disk or when syncing devices in iTunes, in a speed that is 10 times faster than USB 2.0.
"Apple has continued to rework some of the features of the larger iPad," says a person cited by WSJ. "It is now considering the faster technology for data synchronization between the larger iPad and other computing devices."
The report also claims that Apple may include additional ports that people can use to connect a mouse and a keyboard, despite the fact that the iPads have long been able to connect to wireless input devices via Bluetooth.
Lastly, Apple is also thinking of adding new technology to speed up the iPad Pro's charging time, according to the source, who declined to provide further details on what Apple plans to do to improve charging.
This confirms another report by Bloomberg that says Apple is pushing back the production of the iPad Pro. Sources cited by the publication claim Apple is delaying production to September over issues with the supply of display panels. The sources say Apple initially planned to start production of its large-screened tablet during this year's first quarter.
The report proves in part what KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said in November that Apple could hold off production until the second quarter of 2015 due to problems with the display component's sourcing.
A 12.9-inch iPad Pro is part of Apple's strategy to reinvigorate its faltering iPad sales, which have continued in their downward spiral for the last four quarters. In January, Apple announced that it had sold 21.4 million iPads during last year's fourth quarter, which is 18 percent less than its sales during the same quarter the previous year.
The decline in iPad sales is influenced partly by the popularity of larger smartphones, including Apple's iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus, which can accomplish plenty of the tasks previously only done on tablets. The tablet industry, as a whole, is also suffering as consumers hold on to their tablets far longer than they do to their smartphones.
Photo: Vincent Brown | Flickr
