iPad Pro 2 10.5 Inch Model Production Starting March, Could Launch Soon: Report

Apple has moved the production of the 10.5-inch iPad Pro 2 to March from its earlier plans of starting in May-June, according to a report emerging Tuesday. The report, citing Apple’s Taiwan-based supply chain sources further stated that Apple could launch the said iPad model at an event marking the inauguration of its Apple Park, including the new spaceship campus.

The DigiTimes report published Tuesday states that both the 10.5-inch model and the 12.9-inch model could have a mid-tier and high-end pricing respectively.

Read: Apple Releases Info On 10.5-inch iPad Pro

Apart from the 10.5-inch model, Apple is expected to launch a 9.7-inch model and a 12.9-inch model of the iPad Pro 2. The report adds that while the production for the 9.7-inch model of the tablet is expected to reach 3-4 million units per month in the first quarter of financial year 2017 and grow during the next quarter, no production schedule was available for the 12.9-inch model.

The reported numbers indicate how Apple is still standing strong in a tablet industry, which is declining every year.

There is a possibility that Apple might launch the 10.5-inch iPad Pro 2 first, and then go in for a May-June production schedule, indicative of an even later launch.

The production of the 10.5-inch iPad Pro 2 is expected to start at 1 million units in March and ramp up to 1.2 million units per month after that. The production numbers are similar to the production numbers for the iPad Pro when it debuted in August 2015.

The expected launch dates of the Apple iPad Pro have gone for a toss, since different reports are indicating different launch dates for the devices — a MacRumors report on Monday stated that the tablets could launch between March 20-24, while an earlier report said that the tablets could be launched on April 4, going by the availability date for the 12.9-inch iPad Pro on Apple website.

Read: Apple Pencil 2 Emerges In Company’s Patent Application

The iPad Pro 2 is expected to have features like a Touch Bar, Apple Pencil 2, A10X chipset, a 12-megapixel rear camera and iOS 10.3 and therefore, could be Apple’s flagship tablet for 2017.