Leaks of upcoming products have many points of origin. Some of the more reliable however, tend to come from companies that supply components or manufacture the actual devices. Analysts Blayne Curtis, Christopher Hemmelgarn, Thomas O’Malley, and Jerry Zhang from Barclays Research claim to have information from Apple’s Asian supply chain indicating three new iPad pro models will be making their debut in early 2017, as early as March. Further supporting some of their claims is Ming-Chi Kuo, an analyst for KGI Securities with a very solid track record of accuracy.
Information seems to point to three different models in the 12.9in, 9.7in, and ~10in, varieties. That last one is where the two analyst teams disagree. Kuo believes the middle-sized iPad will be 10.5in, while Barclay is suggesting a 10.9in model with an almost edge to edge display. They all seem to agree that the 9.7in version will be the “cheaper” option while the 10in and 12in models bring premium features. Those will include the aforementioned bezel-free screen on the 1oin version and True Tone displays that use four-channel ambient light sensors to automatically adapt the color and intensity of the display to match the light in the surrounding environment. True Tone exists on the current 9.7in model but it may not make it to the new one as a way to keep costs down. However it is possible that all three will carry the technology.
Furthermore all thee models will have quad microphones instead of the current dual setup, and may also get the 12-megapixel rear-facing iSight camera and True Tone flash found on the current 9.7in model. In a head-scratching decision, all three will have 3.5mm headphone jacks…. because Apple.
Those hoping for a refresh for the iPad Mini4 are in for a disappointment as the smallest iPad will continue to be sold as is.
It looks like 2017 will be the year of a major refresh for the iPhone, while 2018 will hold something special for an iPad revamp.
What do you think about the potential leaked designs? Are you excited to get your hands on a bezel-free iPad? Tell us what you think in the comment section below, or on Google+, Facebook, or Twitter.
[button link=”http://www.macrumors.com/2016/11/11/barclays-bezel-free-ipad-march/” icon=”fa-external-link” side=”left” target=”blank” color=”285b5e” textcolor=”ffffff”]Source: MacRumors[/button]
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