12" Apple iPad Pro may flaunt a 'Force Touch stylus', release date pegged for the fall

So far, the rumored specs for what seems to be one inevitable iPad Pro or Plus are for a 12.2" or a 12.9" ultra high-res display, and a souped-up Apple A9 chipset, but the biggest difference might be in the screen department. Remember the rumors that iPad Air 2 will feature a split-screen functionality? Well, with the arrival of iOS 9, this will materialize indeed, but the future iPad Pro strives for more than software advantages. It will be eventually geared towards a more professional crowd, so, besides a stylus, it will allegedly have a Force Touch display as well.

So says the reputed analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, who has a stellar track record predicting Apple's moves. The professionally-oriented iPad Pro/Plus will be able to sense the amount of pressure you apply on its display, and the app or interface will react accordingly. The analyst, however, now cites the Force Touch abilities of the future larger iPad as "an evolution, rather than a revolution."  "We also believe a Force Touch-enabled stylus will enhance productivity as it would offer more precise operation than using only fingers," said Kuo. "Technically, we believe the stylus can be made compatible with iPad models other than the 12.9-inch version, but it depends on the support of software."

Sources before pegged the slate's thickness to be between 6.9-7.5mm, which is a pretty good achievement for what will likely be a slick machined aluminum device, and also confirmed the speculated four built-in speakers. The Bluetooth stylus will be sold separately from the iPad Pro, and Apple is expected to move a million of the writing gear, as opposed to an initial order of 3.5 million iPad Pro tablets. The slate is tipped to go into mass production in September, mentions the analyst in a note to clients, with sales starting in time for the holiday shopping craze.

source: AppleInsider