New iPad Pro 2018: all the rumors about the specifications, the price, the possible beginnings for October

According to a persistent rumor, Apple would hold a "special event" in October. This rumor has turned out to be accurate. And on October 30th at 10 am, we'll know which of the other many rumors was true – including all those concerning a new iPad Pro.

After introducing the iPhone XS, iPhone XS Max, iPhone XR and the Apple Watch 4 Just a month ago, Apple invited the media to a special event on October 30. Of course, the company has already organized additional events in October – the last time in 2016, when it announced three new MacBook Pro and the TV application.

This time, the rumors are the loudest about the new iPad Pro – even if there is also noise about a new MacBook Air, High-end AirPods and a smaller HomePod as well as updates from other aging Apple products.

The recent release of the beta version of iOS 12.1 would have included references to eight devices "iPad2018Fall" – two Wi-Fi models and two LTE models of each size – according to 9to5Mac, as well as a new version of Face ID, USB-C connectivity and output support for 4K displays. These types of features would help Apple to compete with new devices such as Microsoft Surface Pro 6 and Google Pixel Slate.

They would also help restore the Pro as a high-end device after adding Apple Pencil holder and a faster processor at the entry-level iPads in March. Starting at $ 329 (£ 319 or AU $ 469), the basic iPad now offers many of the high-end features that were previously exclusive to much more expensive computers. 10.5 inches Pro and 12.9 inches Pro.

At the moment, Pro models still retain exclusive rights to the Retina top screen and smart connector, allowing you to add a plug-in keyboard.

A group of experts and sources in the supply chain now suggest that Apple will seek to redefine the iPad Pro range – and justify its higher price – with a major update before the end of the year. Although Apple has not officially announced anything, the new Pro models that appeared at the October 30 event are of great interest. Here is what we have heard so far.

Editor's note, 18 October: This post was published on March 21st and will continue to be updated with news and rumors regarding the 2018 iPad lineup.

Rumor: The new iPad Pro will arrive on October 30

It's official. After the iPad Pro not shown at the September 12 event organized by AppleWe immediately thought: October. And now, the company has sent an invitation – in fact, several variations of an invitation – at a "special event" on October 30 in Brooklyn, New York.

There is a strong tradition of early October for the new iPads: the iPad Air 2 and iPad Mini 3 were introduced in a combined Mac and iPad event in October 2014.

Rumor: Apple is preparing two new iPad Pro

Bloomberg announced that Apple was preparing two new tablets for late 2018 – one that measures "about 11 inches", which could be the approximate equivalent of the current model of 10.5 inchesand a 12.9-inch model. Previously, the publication indicated that Apple was working on at least one new iPad Pro, the 10.5-inch model.

Rumor: Apple Pencil 2.0

Apple has developed a new version of its Pencil stylus, according to 9to5Mac. As The EMR pen from Wacom – and that of Apple AirPods – The new pencil will automatically detect and pair the new iPad Pro when you are nearby and you can easily switch from one Apple device to another. However, we do not know if the new Pencil will work with the old iPad models or if the old Apple Pencil will work with the new iPad.

Rumor: USB-C on board

Microsoft has disappointed some released a new version of the Surface Pro without USB-C connection earlier this month. But Apple would have added the popular connection to the new iPad Pro, according to 9to5Mac. In addition to powering certain accessories, the USB-C port will allow the new iPad Pro to transmit videos on 4K external displays.

Rumor: take design landmarks from the iPhone X

Mac Otakara and 9to5Mac report that the upcoming iPad Pro will benefit from a major redesign and will incorporate several new features that have appeared on the first generation of the iPhone X, last year. An iPad battery usage icon found in Apple iOS 12 beta suggests that future models will look a little different – without a Home button, thinner glasses, rounded corners and a larger screen. And the rounded corners of the iPhone X could also end up on the next iPad Pro, according to 9to5Mac.com.

Rumor: the face becomes horizontal

There is no notch on these icons, but rumors suggest that the glasses of the new models are able to adapt Face ID without notching. Developer Steve Troughton-Smith, who discovered many Apple products and features before their official announcement, claims that the 12 beta version of iOS indicates that future iPads will have a face ID – and that it will be also able to unlock the device even in landscape mode, something that even the new 2018 iPhones can not do today. (Bloomberg also reported on this.)

Rumor: faster charge

Troughton-Smith also found evidence that suggests the new iPad could have a USB-C connection. This reinforces an earlier prediction from the Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo that Apple will change to an 18-watt USB-C AC adapter as well as previous DigiTimes reports.

Pro models of the current generation currently support the 18-watt specification, which can reduce load time by 50%, but Apple today provides them with a 10-12 watt adapter. If that's true, it would mark a radical change for Apple, which has been using the Lightning connector in its hardware lineup since its introduction in 2012.

Do not expect an iPhone style wireless charging, though. Nobody seriously expects the metal back panel of the iPad to disappear, which more or less prevents induction charging.

Rumor: 3.5mm headphone jack that goes away

Mac Otakara reports that the future iPad Pro – at least the 10.5-inch model – will dispense with the traditional headphone jack in favor of the connector Lightning Apple. And there is a lot of momentum in this direction: when Apple announced the iPhone XS, XS Max and XR it also stopped selling the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus, iPhone 6S and 6S Plus and iPhone SE – meaning that the latest iPhones to come with a headphone jack have disappeared.

Probably: performance bumps

the new entry-level iPad is powered by the A10 processor of the 2016 era, which places it at a half step from the iPad Pro, which runs the A10X. However, since the 2017 iPhones are using A11 and the new 2018 iPhone trio is using A12 Bionic, it makes sense that the new iPad Pro have an A11 or A11X – at all. less. In November, Bloomberg had suggested that the next iPads would have faster processors and graphics processors, which have become a key part of almost every upgrade cycle.

Rumor: probably not OLED display

According to Bloomberg, one of the features of the iPhone X that it is unlikely to appear in an iPad at any time in 2018 is an OLED display. Not because Apple would not like to use them. It is that the providers simply do not yet have the bandwidth needed to produce them at the size and cost corresponding to the number required to meet the colossal market of Apple. (This is the same reason why laptops with OLED displays are still rare.)

Rumor: Peace, iPad Mini

Speaking of iPhone: with the September iPhone range that introduces the 6.5 inch iPhone XS Max, we have the impression that the iPad Mini range is not long for this world. Bloomberg reports that the Mini will not be refreshed this year – and we need to ask if this will ever happen.

Aside from a minor upgrade in storage capacity in June 2017, the current Mini 4 with its 7.9-inch display has not been updated since its introduction in 2015. But Is more expensive than the 9.7-inch iPad, since Apple only sells 128GB. Version. Given that the new 9.7 inches provides a lot more – a bigger screen, a pencil support and better performance – at a lower price, it's hard to imagine that there's still a big demand for the Mini.

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