Supply chain sources predicting 12-inch iPad Pro in the spring

Posted:
in General Discussion edited February 2020
A supply chain source is predicting a 12-inch iPad Pro for the spring, but it isn't exactly clear where they're getting the information.

Sure, Apple could stretch the 12.9-inch iPad Pro screen up, but this report says it'll cut an inch off instead.
A new report believes Apple will inch its smaller iPad Pro closer to the size of the larger one.


It is expected that there will be a new iPad Pro announcement in the first half of 2020, and possibly in March. However, a new report claims when it will appear, how supplies will be affected by the coronavirus, and also provides specifications that appear mistaken.

Digitimes says that Apple will launch a 12-inch iPad Pro in March, with a triple-lens camera system on the back. It claims that suppliers have already been producing components, but that the coronavirus outbreak has affected production.

"After upgrading its 9.7-inch iPad to 10.2-inch spec in 2019, Apple is set to release its new 12-inch iPad Pro model featuring a rear-end three-lens ToF 3D sensor in the spring, in a bid to boost its share of the global tablet market," says Digitimes. "The vendor registered total iPad shipments of 44 million units in 2019, slightly lower than 2018, the sources said."

While the camera system has been widely reported, this is the first mention anywhere of Apple planning to again increase the size of its smaller iPad Pro screen.

Digitimes maintains that this is not the 12.9-inch iPad Pro being cut down for some reason, but rather the 11-inch iPad Pro being scaled up, because Apple did so in the past with the 9.7-inch iPad becoming the 10.2-inch iPad.

But, Apple has done this already with the iPad Pro. For the 11-inch iPad, Apple kept the same physical dimensions as the previous 10.5-inch iPad Pro, but reduced the bezels around to screen to allow for the larger display.

It did the same thing with the regular iPad screen when it increased that from 9.7-inches to 10.2-inches. It did a similar thing when it cut the physical dimensions of the 12.9-inch iPad Pro to keep the same screen size in a smaller casing.

The current iPad lineup starts at 10.2-inches, then 11-inches, and then 12.9-inches. If Digitimes sources were correct, this would reposition the smaller iPad Pro to be much nearer the size of the largest one.

Digitimes has a good reputation for access to sources within the supply chain, but a poor one for extrapolating specific information about Apple products from the information they provide. For instance, it did have early indications of what became the Pro Display XDR, but believed that it was instead going to be a 30-inch iMac.




Comments

  • Reply 1 of 15
    blastdoorblastdoor Posts: 3,258member
    Good point regarding the 30 inch iMac.

    so basically they get info about a part and then try to guess the product it’s going into 

    the question then becomes — into what product might a 12” screen be placed? New MacBook?

    edit —

    to continue the thought, perhaps a lower cost MacBook for the education market with an A14 (it similar) SOC? Could be a way to compete with chrome books. 
    edited February 2020 klinuxmac
  • Reply 2 of 15
    And what would become of the current 12.9 inch iPad Pro? Would that be “scaled up”—enlarged? Doesn’t make much sense having both 12 and 12.9 inch models!
    seanjpolymniathtcyberzombieyojimbo007
  • Reply 3 of 15
    I want a 27” iPad Pro. No kickstand please. 
  • Reply 4 of 15
    blastdoorblastdoor Posts: 3,258member
    Take a look at Intel's pricing for 7 watt and 15 watt laptop chips:

    https://www.anandtech.com/show/14782/intel-launches-comet-lakeu-and-comet-lakey-10th-gen-core-for-low-power-laptops

    Those prices range from $281 to $443, and the performance/watt characteristics are a big Meh compared to Apple's A-SOCs. 

    Lately I've been leaning towards thinking that Apple is more likely to shift from Intel to AMD for the Mac than from Intel to Apple SOCs. But maybe an exception to that could be a 12" lower priced MacBook aimed at the education market. The A13 allegedly costs Apple about $64. So Apple's costs would be at least $200 lower if they just dump Intel. And there are other cost savings to be had relative to the most recent conception of the MacBook -- an edu-oriented MacBook wouldn't need to be quite so thin/light. If we start with the $399 iPad as the base, add a keyboard, some more RAM, maybe we end up around $699? 
  • Reply 5 of 15
    Rene Ritchie of iMore said it would be in March and he said that 5 months ago.
  • Reply 6 of 15
    Mike WuertheleMike Wuerthele Posts: 6,858administrator
    Rene Ritchie of iMore said it would be in March and he said that 5 months ago.
    We've been saying iPad Pro in March for a while too. Nobody but DigiTimes is saying anything about a 12-inch iPad Pro, afaik.
  • Reply 7 of 15
    The current 12.9" iPad Pro dimensions are a little under paper Letter size (13.9" on the diagonal). I'd love to see an Legal size (14.35" on the diagonal). Would make split screen even better.
    edited February 2020
  • Reply 8 of 15
    apple ][apple ][ Posts: 9,233member
    Digitimes, yuck.

    But if this were true, would it make sense to have a 12" iPad Pro and a 12.9" iPad Pro?

    That seems to be too similar in size. Maybe they can bump the 12.9" to 14" or something and move more in that direction.


  • Reply 9 of 15
    thttht Posts: 5,421member
    The current 12.9" iPad Pro dimensions are a little under paper Letter size (13.9" on the diagonal). I'd love to see an Legal size (14.35" on the diagonal). Would make split screen even better.
    Legal paper size is 8.5 x 14, right? That’s 16.4” diagonal at 28:17 or 1.65:10 aspect ratio. So, the current MBP16 display would be a close approximation of it. 

    Interesting rumor on the 12”. It would make for bigger Smart Keyboards, and maybe they feel it is worth it for that alone? Non keyboard users would just get a freebie with a larger display size?

    With the way I use iPads, I would much prefer 5:4 aspect ratios, and a 12” 5:4 would be an awesome small size for the iPad Pro models. For the larger size, I’d be all in with a 14.5 to 15 inch 5:4 display too. The current 4:3 aspect ratio is a bit too tall in portrait imo.

    As the displays get larger, it will become more and more imperative for Apple to move to an overlapping, arbitrary sized window UI. The current tiling design can only scale so far.

    As the displays get smaller, I think 16:9 to 21:9 can work better than the current 4:3 7.9” iPad mini. An 8” 19.5:9 iPad (Face ID iPhone aspect ratio) would be a very interesting device imo. It’s width will be small enough so you can two hand thumb type much more comfortably than the current iPad mini. It will be wide enough such that videos will be just as large as you’d have with the current mini.
  • Reply 10 of 15
    fallenjtfallenjt Posts: 4,053member
    I ain’t care about 12” iPad. My 12.9” iPad Pro stands next to my 13” MacBook Air perfectly as second display!
  • Reply 11 of 15
    blastdoor said:
    Good point regarding the 30 inch iMac.

    so basically they get info about a part and then try to guess the product it’s going into 

    the question then becomes — into what product might a 12” screen be placed? New MacBook?

    edit —

    to continue the thought, perhaps a lower cost MacBook for the education market with an A14 (it similar) SOC? Could be a way to compete with chrome books. 
    Exactly what I was thinking. 🤔 
  • Reply 12 of 15
    apple ][ said:
    Digitimes, yuck.

    But if this were true, would it make sense to have a 12" iPad Pro and a 12.9" iPad Pro?

    That seems to be too similar in size. Maybe they can bump the 12.9" to 14" or something and move more in that direction.


    I would love a 15”, 16” or 17” iPad Pro. Would be ideal for video and music production, not to mention be better for artwork with a bigger work surface.
  • Reply 13 of 15
    dewmedewme Posts: 5,335member
    As much as I hate to admit it, the 12.9" iPad Pro is just too damn big to use without a keyboard and desk to park it on. Perhaps it should be a 2-in-1 device with an attached keyboard. I love the screen, speakers, performance, and using it with the smart keyboard and pencil. The excessive size and weight is really apparent when you try to use it as a tablet in portrait mode. Cutting 0.9 inches off the screen size probably won't make much of a difference. 
  • Reply 14 of 15
    12 and a 12.9 ? Makes no sense unless the bump up the 12.9 to a larger size.
  • Reply 15 of 15
    davgregdavgreg Posts: 1,036member
    I would like to see a larger format iPadOS device that was more like the Surface Studio form factor with multiple ports for connectivity.

    For many, that could be the perfect "desktop" device

    I love my current model 12.9" iPad Pro, but wish the battery life was better. I really do not see the need for the expensive rear camera setup. As almost every iPad Pro owner also owns an iPhone, it is really overkill.
    firelock
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