10.5-Inch iPad Pro 2 Enters Limited Production For April 4 Launch: Report

Apple’s quiet launch of the Red iPhone 7 and the new iPad on March 21 took tech enthusiasts by surprise. But there was something missing in the announcement — the long-rumored 10.5-inch iPad Pro 2. According to a new report, the device has already entered production and might launch in April as previously rumored.

“Indications are... 10.5-inch iPad production is commencing this month. An April launch still looks somewhat tentative but the necessary elements are starting to come together," IHS Markit analyst Rhoda Alexander told Forbes on Sunday.

Read: iPad vs. iPad Pro 2

"The initial production is limited but Apple’s been known to do fairly fast ramp ups in the past. It’s also possible Apple could do a limited launch initially, adding countries as volume allows," she added.

Since the new iPad is a budget device priced at $329 and does not have many high-end features, which were rumored for the iPad Pro 2, there is a high probability that Apple comes out with a premium tablet soon, having at least some, if not all, rumored features of iPad Pro 2.

Whether the iPad Pro 2 releases on April 4 at Apple’s spaceship campus’ inaugural event is not known yet, but earlier rumors have pointed at the possibility repeatedly. A possible scenario is that Apple might show off the tablet at the event, but the device will hit store shelves later in the spring. Or as Alexander states, the company could produce the tablet in limited quantities and roll it out slowly in different countries.

Read: iPad Pro 2 Might Launch On April 4

The iPad Pro 2 is expected to come with a high-end price tag of $799 and have features such as a MacBook Pro 2016 style Touch Bar, a rechargeable Apple Pencil 2, iOS 10.3 and Apple A10X processor.