A new report claims to reveal when Apple will release its 12.9-inch iPad Pro, Apple Pencil, and Smart Keyboard. The company will reportedly begin shipping the larger iPad and accessories in the first week of November.
It appears that tablet manufacturers are preparing to try and reverse tablet sales declines by focusing on a new area in which Microsoft has seen the most success. Apple and Samsung are both planning their largest tablets to date and it seems they all have Microsoft's Surface on their target.
Samsung is doing with tablets what it famously did with smartphones — making a jumbo-sized device that towers above the competition. The 18.4-inch Galaxy View has already received RRA certification, and an image of the device shows a Surface-like kickstand accessory.
Apple unveiled its long-rumored larger iPad – the iPad Pro – at its iPhone 6s and 6s Plus launch event. Apple is even offering a stylus for the first time with the iPad Pro — something Steve Jobs famously joked was a sign of failure in both smartphones and tablets a couple years ago.
Philip Schiller, Apple's senior vice president of worldwide marketing, described the upcoming iPad Pro while also taking a shot at Microsoft's Surface Pro (which ships with a Surface Pen in the box):
"iPad Pro is the most advanced and powerful iPad we have ever made. Its beautiful and large 12.9-inch Retina display has 5.6 million pixels and provides an immersive experience for content and apps. The iPad Pro is far and away the fastest iOS device we have ever made — its A9X chip beats most portable PCs in both CPU and graphics tasks, but is thin and light enough to hold all day.
"The innovative Apple Pencil and new Smart Keyboard enable users to customize their iPad Pro experience to the particular apps they use and the work they do, making iPad Pro ideal for everything from professional productivity to advanced 3D design."
Apple announced that the 12.9-inch iPad Pro would go on sale in November but never gave a concrete date. A new report claims it will actually be released in the first week of November, along with the Apple Pencil and Smart Keyboard accessories, which will set you back $99 and $169.
The iPad Pro starts at $799 for the 32 GB Wi-Fi model, while the high-end 128 GB Wi-Fi + Cellular retails for $1,079.
