Apple Inc.'s Super-Size iPad Pro Will Ship In Smaller Quantities Than Expected

Apple Inc. is expected to release a super-size 12.9-inch iPad Pro after mid-November, according to DigiTimes. The company is also reported to be cautious about placing too large an order, indicating Apple has modest expectations for the latest addition to the troubled product line.

The tablets will be manufactured by Foxconn, the same company that manufactures the current iPhone and iPad. Components are expected to start coming through from Apple’s upstream supply chain in late September.

The pieces are falling into place for the tablet's launch. Beta versions of iOS 9 have revealed a larger touchscreen keyboard than is available on current iPads, suggesting the new operating system will support the iPad Pro. The beta also suggested the tablet will have a 2732x2048 screen with 264 pixels per inch, the same found on the current iPad Air.

In January, KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo predicted the tablet would support an optional stylus accessory. The stylus, Kuo predicts, will charge via the Lightning connector. Future models could include components to support “3-D handwriting,” allowing users to write by waving in the air.

Other features rumored for the larger iPad include Force Touch, which can detect the pressure applied to the screen during a touch and which first debuted on the Apple Watch. The tablet may also include an NFC chip for accepting contactless payments, as well as a USB-C port which may either supplement or replace the current Lightning connector.

The bigger screen is Apple's latest attempt to breathe new life into the troubled iPad. Sales fell 20 percent over the past year, the fifth consecutive quarter of decline.