Apple iPad Pro With Advanced Wireless Communications Tech Slated For Next Year

A new report about upcoming iPad Pro versions has been released, revealing details about the Apple productivity device.

The report, coming from reputed TF International Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, claims Apple will start mass producing the new iPad Pros sometime between the fourth quarter of 2019 and the first quarter of 2020, Apple Insider reported. Kuo didn’t mention any specific release date, however.

Kuo claims that the new iPad Pros will feature 11-inch and 12.9-inch displays, sizes similar to the current iPad Pro models. Although the report seems to imply that the new iPad Pros won’t look very different from the currently available versions, it does say that the new models will feature new specs and components on the inside.

One of the most important changes to the iPad Pro’s inner components would be the use of the “high-priced LCP soft board,” UDN reported (translated via Google). As the name implies, LCP soft boards are soft, flexible boards that can be used as an alternative to rigid, inflexible PCBs.

Kuo believes that the iPad Pro is primarily designed to become a productivity tool, and thus requires a network connection far better than that of a smartphone. It is believed that by using LCP soft boards, Apple will allow the iPad Pro to achieve such connection speeds.

By using LCP soft boards, Apple will be able to connect the antenna to the motherboard directly, helping to improve overall network performance. It will also ensure optimum network connection by reducing signal loss.

What’s more, LCP soft boards will be very useful in preparing the iPad Pro for 5G connectivity. Apple is said to release 5G-supporting models by 2021, and is expected to use LCP soft boards, along with 5G baseband chips, for that purpose.

Apple is expected to source their LCP soft board requirements from a company named Murata Manufacturing. This company has been working with Apple for some time now, and has provided the tech company with LCP flexible boards used in the iPhone 8 and iPhone X onward.

The Cupertino tech giant hasn’t announced anything as of the moment, and so fans are advised to take this information with a grain of salt. Stay tuned for more updates as they come.