Apple is reportedly readying an ‘iPad Mini Pro’ for a launch later this year

Apple is rumored to hold an event later this month to launch some new products that include updated iPad Pro models, an iPad Mini, and the AirTags object tracker at last. However, these might not be the only tablets that the company has in the pipeline for 2021. Yes, another iPad Air might arrive later this year, but there is one more – a device allegedly called an iPad Mini ProUmm, what now?

Is this the teeny-tiny 'Pro' iPad Mini of your dreams?

The latest rumor comes courtesy of Korean blog Naver which claims that the iPad Mini Pro is currently in the ‘Design P2’ stage after having passed through the R&D and planning stage. The report adds that the Apple tablet is now headed towards the DVT P3 (Design Validation Test) sooner or later. 

And with the aforementioned being one of the last stages before the device enters mass production, the iPad Mini Pro is expected to launch in the second half of 2020. Actually, we wouldn’t be surprised if Apple chooses to launch it alongside the next iPad Air later this year, or even the iPhone 13 family. 

Apple is reportedly eyeing an H2 2021 debut for the iPad Mini Pro

Adding more about the device, the report claims that the iPad Mini Pro will come equipped with an 8.3-inch display. Apple has reportedly reduced the height of the device compared to the vanilla iPad Mini, but it is slightly wider. However, that’s everything we know about the device so far.

The ‘Pro’ addition suggests that Apple might offer some extras such as a high-refresh-rate panel, more powerful camera hardware, and even an OLED or mini LED panel. As per a previous leak, the standard iPad Mini refresh this year will offer an 8.5-inch Liquid Retina display, complete with Apple Pencil support, while the A14 Bionic will run things under the hood. We won’t have to wait much longer to see if those rumors materialize later this month. 

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Fresh speculation calls for early 2017 releases of 10.5 and low-cost 9.7-inch iPads

They say you should never mess with a winning formula. If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. But, much like Android tablets, Apple iPads have stopped winning a while back, which is why the 7.9-inch Mini 4 and 12.9-inch first-gen Pro unveiled last fall didn’t get sequels this year.

Cupertino had bigger fish to fry, trying to rejuvenate product rosters that still stand a chance of surviving, thriving or even returning to healthy growth. iPads aren’t dead and buried either though, at least not yet, with another (semi-) reliable source anticipating a Q1 2017 series revival after a production start next month.

What insiders can’t agree on is the number of new iOS slates in the pipeline, and especially their screen sizes. “Taiwan-based supply chain makers” now suggest a 10.5-incher, not 10.1 or 10.9-er, is incoming to cater to the US enterprise and education sectors with a larger display than the 9.7-incher and lower price than the 12.9-inch Pro.

But if affordability is one of the newbie’s selling points, a bezelless design begins to feel like a major stretch. With an as-yet unreleased A10X processor inside, the 10.5-inch iPad (Pro?) is expected to ship roughly two million units during its first partial quarter in stores, followed by 5-6M in Q2.

The next-gen 12.9-inch iPad Pro should pack the same ultra-high-end homebrewed chip, while an Android-competing “lower-price” new version of the 9.7-incher may stick with the A9X. No words on a 7.9-inch Mini or Mini Pro upgrade this time around.

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10.9-inch bezelless iPad also on the table, claims Barclays

More news from Barclays Research today indicates that the iPhone 8 won’t be the only bezelless game in Cupertino. In fact, a new 10.9-inch model iPad may make first waves with its lack of side bezels.

Rumors have told us to brace for three iPad releases, all of them under the “Pro” moniker, sometime next spring. Two screen sizes seem to waver around the 9.7 inch range and the 12.9 inch range. One form factor is said to feature a 7.9-inch screen — an “iPad Pro mini,” if you will.

But analysts now claim that there will be a new iPad with a 10.9-inch screen and the physical dimensions of the existing 9.7-inch form factor. Furthermore, the new 9.7-inch iPad Pro might only be “pro” in its name as it is expected to be sold as a “low-cost” tablet, along side that 7.9-inch model.

In other words, we’re probably looking at two pairs of new iPads with different target markets rather than three iPad Pros next year. But the waiting continues anyways.

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Expect three iPad Pro releases in early 2017, including 7.9 and 10.1-inchers

Is the new MacBook Pro flying solo to a lower-key-than-usual Apple event late this month or early next in time for a holiday season commercial launch? Well, the iPhone 7, 7 Plus and “iWatch” Series 2 are all out and about, while the iPad family already received a

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iPad Air 3/iPad Pro mini supports Smart Keyboard, rocks four speakers, case leak suggests

It seems we’ve entered the age of revealing iCase depictions, as the looming refreshed 9.7-inch iPad shows its… holes protruding from a protective accessory, following similar iPhone 7 and iPhone SE exposés.This is by far the most cryptic leak of the three, letting us in on only two important tidbits of information. Namely, it appears

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