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Apple's manufacturing partners will begin limited production of the rumored 10.5-inch iPad Pro this month, according to IHS Markit analyst Rhoda Alexander, who spoke with Forbes over the weekend.

ipad-pro-video-grab.jpg

At this point, however, it remains unclear whether the 10.5-inch iPad Pro will be announced later this spring, at WWDC 2017 in June, or in the fall or later, as rumors are lacking consensus.

Japanese blog Mac Otakara previously said Apple would unveil its new iPad Pro lineup at a March event, but that rumor failed to materialize. Instead, Apple last week announced a low-cost 9.7-inch iPad, 128GB iPhone SE, new Apple Watch bands, and a (PRODUCT)RED iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus through its Newsroom.

The latest rumor from DigiTimes claims Apple is planning to unveil the 10.5-inch iPad Pro at an early April event to "mark the inauguration" of its new Apple Park campus, which opens to employees next month. While this timeline could be correct, it's unlikely Apple would have shared such specific plans with the supply chain.

Alexander believes an April launch "still looks somewhat tentative," but she said "the necessary elements are starting to come together," so it's possible Apple could do a limited spring launch in the United States and select other countries, followed by a wider rollout as production ramps up.

A person with sources within Apple's supply chain told MacRumors that they still expect the 10.5-inch iPad Pro to launch in the spring. The person requested full confidentiality due to the nature of their position.
It looks like Apple is doing the releases in a staggered fashion. I still expect a 10-inch-range iPad sometime in the spring. The supply chain is pretty clear that it is coming, maybe as soon as April.
A handful of Apple analysts that we spoke to reiterated that a fall launch is more likely, however, and if volume production has yet to begin, then a launch later this year rather than sooner is certainly a possibility.

Apple pundit John Gruber made a good point last week about why it would make sense for Apple to wait until at least October to announce the 10.5-inch iPad Pro: to avoid spoiling the design of the much-rumored iPhone with an edge-to-edge OLED display, which is expected to be announced in September.
I think the most likely explanation is that Apple is working on a new edge-to-edge design iPad with a 10.5-inch display, but that it’s a 2018 thing, not a 2017 thing. Or, at the very earliest, a late 2017 thing — something they could unveil in October. […]

Among all the other aforementioned things that don’t make sense regarding the rumor that a 10.5-inch iPad is imminent is the idea that the new design language would debut on an iPad, not an iPhone.
But just how much of a spoiler the 10.5-inch iPad Pro might be remains to be seen, as rumors are conflicting about whether the tablet will have an edge-to-edge display or simply a narrow bezel design. It is also uncertain if Apple will remove the Home button on the 10.5-inch iPad Pro in line with the "iPhone 8."

Back in August, KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said Apple would launch a 10.5-inch iPad Pro and new 12.9-inch iPad Pro in "2017," and he generally shares accurate information, so there is a good chance the tablets are coming at some point this year. He also predicted the low-cost 9.7-inch iPad.

Just a few weeks ago, mobile marketing firm Fiksu spotted four new iPad identifiers in its device data. As it turns out, these model identifiers are not for the new 9.7-inch iPad, suggesting that they could be for Wi-Fi and Wi-Fi + Cellular versions of the 10.5-inch iPad Pro and a new 12.9-inch iPad Pro.

Fiksu suggested the new iPad models could launch within a month, which would suggest a release by the end of April.

Article Link: 10.5-Inch iPad Pro Entering Limited Production, But Spring, WWDC, or Fall Launch Remains Unclear
 
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I'd have to imagine the iPad is taken care of until fall and this will be a holiday product. Can't remember a too many times Apple has released a budget product with a flagship on the horizon.
 
From my sources, I would say a release earlier than Fall 2017 but that could always be moved depending on production/scheduling as we've seen in the past.
 
It just makes more sense to debut the iPhone with OLED before the iPad would. I think Apple will want to put all their marketing into the OLED iPhone before the iPad .

My assumption is there won't be an April keynote and this purported 10.5 iPad is easily Fall 2017 or later. Assuming if production of this 10.5 iPad is slated for this month, then it would be at least six months before It would be available for resale.
 
I find it hard to believe that the iPad Pro 9.7 will have the new form factor (i.e. 10.5), but the 12.9 won't.
Surely the 12.9 is first in line to be updated, but there is no "evidence" of it, as there seems to be for this 10.5..?

I call for the WWDC release, with (obviously) the A10X in both.
Why WWDC? So Apple can show off Xcode on iPad Pro.
 
It's going to be the same footprint of a 9.7" iPad, but the screen will take up the whole front of the device, much like the iPhone 8. It will not launch until the iPhone 8 does.

I tend to agree with this. However, that makes the new iPad with inferior display all the more sad, since the 10.9" would then presumably take the place of the 9.7" iPad Pro.
 
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Apple has to release some new macs at the wwdc. I'm afraid that there will be no april event and apple will release the new 10.5'' iPad (Pro) at the wwdc. The iMacs will be pushed back to a fall release together with a updated mbp. Bye bye Mac pro and mini

Hope I'm wrong
 
I tend to agree with this. However, that makes the new iPad with inferior display all the more sad, since the 10.9" would then presumably take the place of the 9.7" iPad Pro.

Very true, but you can't argue with the value of the new iPad... $430 for the 128GB is an excellent price point. I don't think there's any chance the new Pro will cost much less than the current one at that tier ($700).
 
Why release new iPad pros in the same quarter as new iPhones? They'll cannibalise each other as far as sales go. I call WWDC for updated iPads, not October. Makes no sense.
 
Sorry Apple. My iPad money I had all ready to spend went to a new Samsung dryer. Didn't need it but my dryer was turning 14 years old.
 
I am kind of feeling that the 10.5" iPad will not be an iPad Pro model, but instead a replacement for the iPad Air.

So we could see an April event for the iPad Pro 9.7 and 12.9 refreshes and then hold the iPad 10.5 either to October or perhaps in conjunction with the iPhone 8.
 
Why release new iPad pros in the same quarter as new iPhones? They'll cannibalise each other as far as sales go. I call WWDC for updated iPads, not October. Makes no sense.
they aren't going to do a OLED iPad before a OLED iPhone. I don't see it happening and WWDC should stick with software not hardware.
 
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they aren't going to do a OLED iPad before a OLED iPhone. I don't see it happening and WWDC should stick with software not hardware.
iPad Pro defo OLED? I figured this would be launched on the iPhone 8 first. I assumed WWDC was only software but increasingly there are product updates at keynote. Not NEW products but updates.
 
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