Apple's 12.9" iPad will feature Bluetooth stylus, Force Touch, NFC & more, source says

Posted:
in iPad edited July 2015
Apple is indeed working on a larger iPad which will feature a number of changes, including an all-new Bluetooth stylus accessory with pressure sensitivity, support for Force Touch input, and a USB-C connector, AppleInsider has learned.


Purported "iPad Pro" renderings.


A person familiar with Apple's future product plans has revealed that the company is in fact working on an all-new iPad with a larger 12.9-inch display. Commonly referred to amongst members of the media and enthusiasts as an "iPad Pro," the timetable for release for this device is unknown, but a number of features entirely new to the iPad lineup are included.

This person said that Apple is expected to include an NFC radio within the new 12.9-inch iPad. While tap-to-pay functionality in an iPad is unlikely, the inclusion of NFC could allow for an "iPad Pro" to serve as a payment receiving terminal for Apple Pay.

The inclusion of NFC could also allow for simplified pairing with accessories, such as the new stylus said to be in the works.

The source also indicated that the jumbo-sized iPad will sport a new touchscreen with improved touch latency. It was said that this will improve the experience when used with a new Apple-built Bluetooth stylus.

Word of a potential Apple stylus was first revealed earlier this year by KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo.

Offering more details on the anticipated accessory, an AppleInsider source said that Apple's stylus will connect via Bluetooth, and that it will feature pressure-sensitive input.




The screen itself will also reportedly sense pressure from fingertips, as Apple is said to be planning to bring its Force Touch input to the 12.9-inch iPad. AppleInsider was first to report in February that Apple's next-generation iPhone, referred to colloquially as the "iPhone 6s," will also feature the Force Touch input that is currently available on the Apple Watch and latest MacBooks.

The source also said that Apple's new, larger iPad will also feature a USB-C input, though they didn't indicate whether it would be a new, second port option, or if USB-C would replace the Lightning connector found on current iPads. Cases based on allegedly leaked "iPad Pro" designs have included spaces for two port openings, leading to speculation that Apple could potentially include both USB-C and Lightning, or offer docking capabilities in two different orientations.

Finally, AppleInsider was also told that the "iPad Pro" will unsurprisingly feature a new next-generation A-series processor. The current high-end iPad Air 2 features an A8X processor that is a beefed-up variant of the A8 chip found in the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus.
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Comments

  • Reply 1 of 129
    thewhitefalconthewhitefalcon Posts: 4,453member

    I've been waiting for FT to come to the iPad, it makes too much sense for it not to come. That'd also make it so Apple doesn't have to pay someone like Wacom for stylus functions.

  • Reply 2 of 129
    idreyidrey Posts: 647member
    I want it! I tried The stylus on the ?Watch an it works great on the ?Watch screen
  • Reply 3 of 129
    idreyidrey Posts: 647member
    ? should do the two windows in the screen too
  • Reply 4 of 129
    longpathlongpath Posts: 392member
    A flash for the camera would be nice
  • Reply 5 of 129
    joninsdjoninsd Posts: 74member
    If Apple won't put more than one port on a laptop what makes them think there's going to be a lightning and usb-c? They're going to have one or the other, my prediction is usb-c, or they're going to make a multi port adapter for lightning. Is it possible Apple is just testing the market to see how close they can bring a tablet to perform like a laptop before the market just accepts this form factor or rebels against it?
  • Reply 6 of 129
    suddenly newtonsuddenly newton Posts: 13,819member
    idrey wrote: »
    I want it! I tried The stylus on the ?Watch an it works great on the ?Watch screen
    idrey wrote: »
    ? should do the two windows in the screen too

    So...(and this is a semi-serious question) why not just get a Surface RT? If you had purchased 900,000 of them, you could've saved Ballmer's job.
  • Reply 7 of 129
    thewhitefalconthewhitefalcon Posts: 4,453member
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by JonInSD View Post



    If Apple won't put more than one port on a laptop what makes them think there's going to be a lightning and usb-c? They're going to have one or the other, my prediction is usb-c, or they're going to make a multi port adapter for lightning. Is it possible Apple is just testing the market to see how close they can bring a tablet to perform like a laptop before the market just accepts this form factor or rebels against it?



    Orientation, for one. Someone might want to dock it in portrait mode, or in landscape. Apple tested the iPad with two Dock Connectors originally.

     

    They'll stick with Lightning for a while yet, it's a good connector.

  • Reply 8 of 129
    magman1979magman1979 Posts: 1,292member
    I highly doubt Apple will dump the Lightning connector, as it's a gateway to a multitude of accessories that are shareable amongst all the iOS devices. This one part already makes me cast serious doubt on the validity of these claims, and as always, it's from a source "close to Apple", so someone could actually be talking out of their posterior and there'd be no way to verify this.

    I suppose this was inevitable, as we're past the release of the ?WATCH, and there's still not much known about the upcoming iPhone, so they had to start spewing rumours on something!
  • Reply 9 of 129
    Mouse/trackpad input please! Would love to see something like the brydgeair with a trackpad.
  • Reply 10 of 129
    jameskatt2jameskatt2 Posts: 720member
    A bluetooth stylus is SILLY. Why would Apple want to make things more complicated? You would have to keep the stylus charged also. And USB 3.0 peripherals like hard drives will interfere with the stylus.

    With Force Touch, there is ZERO NEED for a bluetooth stylus.
    With NFC, there is ZERO NEED for a bluetooth stylus.

    ---

    It was Apple that designed USB-c.

    You can see how much USB-c LOOKS LIKE LIGHTNING but has upgraded features.

    So to keep things simple, Apple will use USB-c instead of lighting.

    A minor advantage of doing this is that it quells any regulatory body about standardizing on charging ports.

    Apple isn't afraid to ditch ports. Just look at the new MacBook with the single USB-c port.
  • Reply 11 of 129
    I hope they make use of all the Size Classes and Trait Collection functionality in iOS 8 and take advantage of the larger device by giving it more layout resolution: iPads, retina or not, mini, fulls-ize or Air, layout as1024x768.

    A much bigger screen should provide more layout resolution, like 1280 x 800 or even higher.
  • Reply 12 of 129
    macinthe408macinthe408 Posts: 1,050member
    Wait, but Jobs, in 2007, said the finger was the best stylus in the world. They can't possibly renege on what was said eight years in the tech industry.
  • Reply 13 of 129
    thewhitefalconthewhitefalcon Posts: 4,453member
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by oliverochs View Post



    Mouse/trackpad input please! Would love to see something like the brydgeair with a trackpad.

     

    Buy a MacBook. iOS isn't designed for a mouse, and if we're honest, a mouse is a horrible input device.

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by jameskatt2 View Post



    A bluetooth stylus is SILLY. Why would Apple want to make things more complicated? You would have to keep the stylus charged also. And USB 3.0 peripherals like hard drives will interfere with the stylus.



    With Force Touch, there is ZERO NEED for a bluetooth stylus.

    With NFC, there is ZERO NEED for a bluetooth stylus.



    ---



    It was Apple that designed USB-c.



    You can see how much USB-c LOOKS LIKE LIGHTNING but has upgraded features.



    So to keep things simple, Apple will use USB-c instead of lighting.



    A minor advantage of doing this is that it quells any regulatory body about standardizing on charging ports.



    Apple isn't afraid to ditch ports. Just look at the new MacBook with the single USB-c port.

     



    Regulatory issues were already solved by this. No reason to ditch Lightning.

  • Reply 14 of 129
    thewhitefalconthewhitefalcon Posts: 4,453member
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by macinthe408 View Post



    Wait, but Jobs, in 2007, said the finger was the best stylus in the world. They can't possibly renege on what was said eight years in the tech industry.

    Ah, another "let's take things out of context" type. Welcome to the block list.

  • Reply 15 of 129
    suddenly newtonsuddenly newton Posts: 13,819member
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by MagMan1979 View Post



    I highly doubt Apple will dump the Lightning connector, as it's a gateway to a multitude of accessories that are shareable amongst all the iOS devices. This one part already makes me cast serious doubt on the validity of these claims, and as always, it's from a source "close to Apple", so someone could actually be talking out of their posterior and there'd be no way to verify this.



    There's another reason to believe that "dump the Lightning connector" is probably unlikely in the near future: it's part of the MFi program. 

  • Reply 16 of 129
    tmaytmay Posts: 6,293member

    If I was a betting person, I would suggest that Lightning is standard for iOS products, and USB 3.0 Type C may be on board as a connection point to a Mac.

     

    Who of you would purchase an iPad Pro with the knowledge that it works as both an input and output device for a Mac as well as a stand alone iOS device?

     

    I would jump on this.

     

    Edit; of course, USB accessories would be welcome with the iPad Pro.

  • Reply 17 of 129
    calicali Posts: 3,494member
    I was just thinking about this yesterday!!

    I wouldn't want a stylus without Force Touch.
    jameskatt2 wrote: »
    A bluetooth stylus is SILLY. Why would Apple want to make things more complicated? You would have to keep the stylus charged also. And USB 3.0 peripherals like hard drives will interfere with the stylus.

    With Force Touch, there is ZERO NEED for a bluetooth stylus.
    With NFC, there is ZERO NEED for a bluetooth stylus.

    I wouldn't doubt Apple. They're pretty creative. I would imagine the stylus will charge while inserted in the stylus port.
    Bluetooth can be used to find the lost stylus and I imagine battery will last days.

    *It just bothers me that the article states everything as fact when absolutely nothing is confirmed at this point.
  • Reply 18 of 129
    pujones1pujones1 Posts: 222member
    idrey wrote: »
    ? should do the two windows in the screen too
    I agree with you. I hope it can go head to head with surface pro tablets or whatever they are called. Scotty we need more power!! Lol.
  • Reply 19 of 129
    knowitallknowitall Posts: 1,648member
    That would be nice, but the biggest issue of the iPad is iOS in its current form.
    It would be nice to be able to actually use the thing without its current artificial chains and be (for example) able to use it to compile a thing or two (XCode would be a bonus) and have a Unix shell to do some actual work.
    (For those who think that's unrealistic: the A8 processor has more power than my current iMac and that device has more than enough power to run Xcode and anything else I can think of.)
  • Reply 20 of 129
    itpromikeitpromike Posts: 44member
    magman1979 wrote: »
    I highly doubt Apple will dump the Lightning connector, as it's a gateway to a multitude of accessories that are shareable amongst all the iOS devices. This one part already makes me cast serious doubt on the validity of these claims, and as always, it's from a source "close to Apple", so someone could actually be talking out of their posterior and there'd be no way to verify this.

    I suppose this was inevitable, as we're past the release of the ?WATCH, and there's still not much known about the upcoming iPhone, so they had to start spewing rumours on something!
    Yeah we all know that Apple would never in a million years abruptly change ports in all their devices ditching customers to purchase new cables, expensive adapters, and breaking compatability with a ton of accessories... That's why they stayed with the 30 pin connector till this day ; OH WAIT....?
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