All the iPad Pro Rumors So Far
Everything we've heard about the iPad Pro.
Apple's iPad has changed quite a bit over the last four years (yes, it's been four full years since we first laid eyes on the first generation iPad). Since 2010, Apple's tablet has evolved to the iPad Air and the iPad Mini. The two tablets, available in both WiFi and WiFi+cellular connectivity, form Apple's line of tablets. But could there be a new iPad coming soon?
Rumor has it that Apple is prepping its largest iPad yet. While Apple's iPad Air shares the same branding as the super slim MacBook Air, this new model is said to share the same branding as the more muscly MacBook Pro. So what can we expect from the iPad Pro? We've rounded up all the information we could find regarding this as-yet-unannounced device. We'll update this post as time goes on.
Display
The iPad Pro will apparently be Apple's largest iPad yet. As such, the display is the most talked about aspect of the device. Rumor has it we can expect a display measuring just shy of 13 inches. The current iPad Air's display measures 9.7 inches, so this is going to be quite a jump in size. The current 13-inch MacBook Pro has a Retina display with a resolution of 2560 x 1600 pixels or 227 pixels per inch. Though the iPad Pro rumors haven't really developed to the point where we can start talking about screen resolutions, it's hard to imagine Apple shipping a non-Retina display panel when all of the current generation MacBook Pros have a Retina display. One interesting rumor from late last year suggests 'near UHD quality.'
Form Factor
There is talk that Apple's iPad Pro might actually be a hybrid device. Not hard to picture, given it will carry the Pro branding. Consider the fact that Apple has been advertising the iPad as a 'work on the go' device since its launch, and it seems like a no-brainer. That leaves us wondering how Apple is going to implement this 'hybrid' functionality. Will it be a dock, like the Transformer Prime from Asus, or will Apple go for a more elegant solution, like Microsoft's Surface and its Type Cover?
Hardware
Again, there isn't a whole lot of information available about the hardware powering this large tablet, but the company's recent A7 chip is built on the 28 nm process and boasts a 1.4 GHz dual-core CPU with PowerVR G6430 graphics (450 MHz). This 64-bit chip powers the iPad Air. While it might not be powerful enough for a 'Pro' iPad, we're already hearing rumors about Apple's A8 SoC. At the end of January, DigiTimes reported that the next processor is rumored to be a package-on-package SoC with processors and mobile DRAM in one package.
Software
Apple's iOS 7.1 update is due in March and will bring some enhancements as well as bug fixes. If Apple introduces the iPad Pro this year, it's likely it will ship with iOS 7. However, it's also possible Apple will tweak iOS just for the iPad Pro or even ship the device with OS X. This will probably depend on the nature of the iPad Pro and its target audience. If Apple is just looking to offer a beefed up tablet, then this device will probably still use the same version of iOS we see on the iPad Air and Mini. If Apple is truly going for the business user, it may need to add OS X or at least tweak iOS to make the device more of a productivity tool.
Release
If you were hoping to see an iPad Pro before the end of the year, you might be disappointed. On March 5, the International Business Times cited KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said he believed Apple was pushing the release of the iPad Pro to next year so it could focus on the iPad Air. While Kuo said we can expect an iPad Air 2 this year, fans of the mini won’t see a 2014 iPad Mini.
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1. You cannot "work" on your iPad. Stop lying. Android tablets like the Asus Transformer or the Surface from microsoft are work tablets.
2. Android makers have already reached a level Apple only dreams of.
1. Apple did not create anything. They repackage existing technologies and buy all their parts rather than create them.
2. Apple is the one who copied from already existing tablets. Apple has also stolen over 15 android features in the last 3 years. Apple is now copying screen size.
3. Sorry little buddy but Android has just as many apps and even better, most are free. They work as well or better.
4. Popularity means nothing. Most people are dumb consumers. That is a fact. But people are waking up. Apple market share has only been going down. Single digits within 16 months.
5. retina? lol you mean a hd screen like existed before and after them. PPI is also higher on android phones and tablets. 64 bit? You mean the normal progression that happened in computers? 64 bit is almost 100% useless with one gb of ram. BTW, android has 64 bit baked in. Android was, is and will always be ahead on ios. The first mini had the WORST screen on the market and now with their upgrade, they are still not the best. where do you get your information? apple forums?
6. Apple is 15 percent market share!!!! dominating? LOL
When Apple successfully created a popular market, anyone who tries to follow and come up with similar but ultimately different products (different OS, size, features etc etc) are deemed to be COPYING from Apple. It does not matter Apple itself copied someone else, such as iPod, which copied the MP3 players that came before it. Yes, to Apple fans, iPod is not a copy because the OS, size, features etc etc are different. But anyone who tries to compete with Apple is automatically deemed as a copycat. It is no use arguing with them.
I get what you're trying to say, but he does have some solid points amidst the hyperbole and FUD. Apple revitalized a preexisting tablet market by taking it in a different, limited direction that was right for the time [the tablets and convertibles of the time were just too bulky because they were forward looking devices before their time]. Giving credit where it's due, if Apple hadn't done this the tablet market almost guaranteedly wouldn't have accelerated and become what it is now.
Apple IS taking features from Android. It's still very much its own OS, and what they're taking is not stealing, but rather normal idea diffusion that occurs in a fast paced tech market, but nonetheless it is happening.
Comparing the tablet apps of iOS and Android is kind of useless. the iPad has more tablet specific apps sure, but part of that is because the design philosophy behind Android apps is one of responsive adaptibility. IE: the Evernote app is a single app, but adjusts to the reported screen size in various ways depending on the device. Because of this, Android doesn't NEED tablet specific apps as much as the iPad does.
Most apps are free on iOS too, so I'm not sure what he's getting at there, though having a market of apps good enough that people are willing to spend money isn't exactly a bad thing either, so I figure the 2 stores are a wash.
I have to give him the retina argument. When the first retina iPad came out, it was pretty impressive [though simultaneously irksome being at such a weird resolution. 2048x1536? really?] But the iPad mini came out next to Android tablets with better specs and a better screen. The $400 second gen iPad mini is coming out into the same situation. The $230 Nexus 7 has nearly the same PPI, and people love its screen. And the Nexus 10 [though getting a bit long in the tooth] is rocking a 2560x1600 display.
While iOS is 15-20% marketshare, the iPad is over 60% tablet market share, so that was indeed complete FUD.
I get what you're trying to say, but he does have some solid points amidst the hyperbole and FUD. Apple revitalized a preexisting tablet market by taking it in a different, limited direction that was right for the time [the tablets and convertibles of the time were just too bulky because they were forward looking devices before their time]. Giving credit where it's due, if Apple hadn't done this the tablet market almost guaranteedly wouldn't have accelerated and become what it is now.
Apple IS taking features from Android. It's still very much its own OS, and what they're taking is not stealing, but rather normal idea diffusion that occurs in a fast paced tech market, but nonetheless it is happening.
Comparing the tablet apps of iOS and Android is kind of useless. the iPad has more tablet specific apps sure, but part of that is because the design philosophy behind Android apps is one of responsive adaptibility. IE: the Evernote app is a single app, but adjusts to the reported screen size in various ways depending on the device. Because of this, Android doesn't NEED tablet specific apps as much as the iPad does.
Most apps are free on iOS too, so I'm not sure what he's getting at there, though having a market of apps good enough that people are willing to spend money isn't exactly a bad thing either, so I figure the 2 stores are a wash.
I have to give him the retina argument. When the first retina iPad came out, it was pretty impressive [though simultaneously irksome being at such a weird resolution. 2048x1536? really?] But the iPad mini came out next to Android tablets with better specs and a better screen. The $400 second gen iPad mini is coming out into the same situation. The $230 Nexus 7 has nearly the same PPI, and people love its screen. And the Nexus 10 [though getting a bit long in the tooth] is rocking a 2560x1600 display.
While iOS is 15-20% marketshare, the iPad is over 60% tablet market share, so that was indeed complete FUD.
1. According to IDC, Apple had 33.8% of the tablet market at the end of 2013.
http://www.businessinsider.com/tablet-market-share-chart-2014-2
Not 60%! They have a 16% in smartphone share.
These numbers are going down every year.
2. ipad mini had a crappy low resolution screen when other mini's were sporting HD