Production reportedly begins on new Apple iPad Pro models

Apple's next iPad Pro is expected to feature the triple camera setup as seen on the back of the iPhone 11 Pro models. Yes, the high-end premium iOS tablet is expected to feature a 12MP wide camera, a 12MP telephoto camera, and a 12MP ultra-wide camera. Or, a Time of Flight (ToF) sensor may be included instead of the ultra-wide or telephoto cameras. A ToF sensor measures the time it takes for infrared light to bounce off of a subject and return to the sensor. This data is used to compute accurate depth information that can be used to improve the AR capabilities of the iPad Pro.

According to Digitimes, production of the iPad Pro (2020) has already started with both an 11-inch and 12.9-inch model expected to be unveiled next month. This all adds up because Apple has been introducing some new devices during the month of March. Last year, the second-generation AirPods was unveiled during the month along with a pair of tablets (iPad mini, iPad Air). And besides the new iPad Pro models, Apple will reportedly introduce the entry-level iPhone 9 in March as well. This is the sequel to the iPhone SE and will supposedly use the iPhone 8's body (with a 4.7-inch LCD display) and pair it with the A13 Bionic chipset that powers the 2019 iPhone models. In addition, the iPhone 9 will get a 50% bump in memory to 3GB. Pricing for the phone is rumored to start at $399 for the 64GB version.

Apple last announced new iPad Pro models in October 2018 with the introduction of a 12.9-inch model and an 11-inch model. These were the first iPads to replace Touch ID with Face ID although no notch was required. We should see Apple bring back the 12.9-inch and 11-inch LCD "edge-to-edge" displays with a resolution of 2048 x 2732 and 1668 x 2388 respectively. Under the hood, we might find the A13X Bionic chip which would be the most powerful chipset made by Apple to date. At least 4GB of memory will be on board along with 64GB to as much as 1TB of storage.

 

Remember, the latest iPad Pro models replaced the Lightning port with a USB-Type C port and there is no reason to believe that Apple will take this back in 2020. This allows users to find more lines of accessories compatible with their tablets. As for the battery, Apple gave its handsets huge battery life increases in 2019, but we don't see such drastic improvements in the cards for the new iPad Pro units. The 2018 models had a 9720mAh capacity battery (12.9-inch version) and a 7812mAh capacity battery (11-inch version). Apple could decide to outfit the new high-end tablets with a metal back or a glass back similar to the iPhone 11 Pro models. Keep in mind that this is the first year that Apple has released a "Pro" line of iPhones so we could see some similarities between the two devices including the look of the rear camera module and the possible use of a glass back.

Apple today announced that iPhone production has been impacted by the coronavirus. There is no reason not to believe that the virus has also affected the assembly of the new iPad Pro tablets and even the iPhone 9. Apple did say that things are slowly returning to normal although at a pace that is slower than Apple had hoped for.