Macotakara, which has at times unearthed details about Apple’s future product designs that turn out to be fairly accurate… [is citing] its own sources as saying that [Apple Inc.] is specifically designing [a new, larger iPad] to take on Microsoft’s Surface Pro 3, but may choose to employ a slightly more compact 12.2-inch display than the 12.9-inch option that is widely rumored and also used by the Surface Pro 3,” Katie Marsal reports for AppleInsider.
Marsal reports, “The overall design of the iPad Pro itself is said to largely resemble a jumbo iPad 2 with two additional speakers (and an additional microphone) located at the top of the device, which ‘might’ make the iPad Pro ‘capable of supporting stereo audio.'”
Read more in the full article here.
Apple will not “follow” Microsoft to this hybrid solution.
They would have to open up the iOS to handling files, and that would be OSXI [eleven], not iOS.
Pretty sure it would be the iPad Plus, in following Apple’s recent nomenclature for mobile devices. And the screen ratio would maintain the current iPad size because it would work best for apps and developers wouldn’t have to create new versions just for the iPad Plus.
Apple is just cornering all aspects of the market. It learned that there are people who want larger screened phones (should have seen that one with the iPad mini’s popularity). Different sizes work for different people, so why not sell multiple sizes to everyone? You’re just talking added costs of engineering and physical parts since only a little OS development is needed.
iPad is not a mobile device it’s a portable device. Pro is a more likely name IMO, following the MacBook names. But then calling something “Pro” that doesn’t have a user accessible file system amount other things would be very misleading to say the least.
Disinformation.
Agree; if Apple wanted to use stereo audio, there is plenty room for that in iPad Air 2 and iPad mini 3 — even many smartphones include stereo audio.
The issue is that for small devices like that this is marketing gimmick and in all cases stereo speakers are too close to each other to create actual stereo effect.
Of course, if this big iPad will exist at all, Apple might decide that it is big enough for stereo effect to be more than just a specification feature, but all of it is highly doubtful.
Agreed regarding the stereo situation for small devices, unless some advanced audio beam steering technique is used. But multiple speakers can improve sound quality for music, Siri, map directions, hands-free calls, etc.
They accomplished extremely good stereo audio on the HTC One and HTC One M8. The speakers are front facing also, which is nice.
Funny after all the Apple will never make a phablet phone one would have thought the MDN ‘experts’ would have learnt their lesson George instinctively writing off such a device. One thing is certain Apple has to cover all options as it only belatedly did with larger phones and as such they will undoubtedly be playing with large format iPads and similar merged designs. Whether they ever come to market is the only question but it certainly not out of the question and as you say to simply reject stereo effects being possible on a 12 inch device is just dumb and ignores the potential role of such a device as as home control and media centre which one could argue in the foreseeable future might come into its own. Certainly wouldn’t write if off for that and other functions.
But… iPad Air has stereo speakers! How is this a thing?
Speakers can be too close together for stereo, perhaps, but you do get it when you use headphones….. except for me after I lost hearing in one ear after a fall that nearly killed me.
I just bought the iPad Air 2 and I love how thin and light it is. I still may want a larger screen but not at a great expense of weight and thinness. My wife is waiting with bated breath for me to go for the iPad pro so that she gets my iPad Air 2. Decisions decisions. Life is tough. LOL
If Apple is designing a larger iPad, it’s for some perceived purpose, not because Microsoft has a larger Surface. One could argue that Samsung showed Apple that larger phones could sell, which encouraged Apple to pursue that. So far, Microsoft certainly hasn’t demonstrated the utility of the larger tablet.
Agreed. It’s not about following M$, it’s about the graceful march toward convergence of mobile and desktop. Though as you rightly mention, this will do to big tablet providers what the 6+ just did to Samsung.
And, after seeing some of the new UI’s and the speed of those apps, I wouldn’t mind being able to do that or even something like Vocalive with a bigger screen that would remove some of the requirement to have modal screens.
The Surface is failing because of the interface. The OS is a mess. It’s not intuitive, it’s confusing, and slows productivity with its overly busy hard to navigate interface.
I watched a friend who is scared and clueless when it comes to computers. A total technophobe, she picked up my iPad and was playing around with it and doing all kinds of stuff after a minute.
Pick up a Surface, and be prepared to be totally perplexed, frustrated, and confused. Microsoft, Jack of all trades, master to none. Everything they do is mediocre at best, and half baked. Nothing innovative or elegant in any of their products.
That’s why Microsoft is dying a slow death and becoming less important. They can’t compete with the likes of Apple.
If this is true, then the iPad Pro will be my next iPad.
I think the iPad Pro is coming. I need one for reading comics better.
Comics and magazines for sure, but the real reason for the iPad Pro is for sales to the enterprise markets. This will be the model IBM will be reselling a lot of.
Once again a DOUBLE SCREEN Mac/iPad would be the BEST !
TOP screen has iPad (removeable), BOTTOM SCREEN has MAC (Intel).
BOTOOM SCREEN can be used for a keyboard, BUT could ALSO be used for FCP control, audio mixer, color corrector, etc.
DOUBLE PAD is MUCH BETTER than weak A8 ‘Pro?” .
They DO hold a patent for just such a configuration 😉
I think the iPad Pro will just run the latest version of iOS.
I can’t see Apple going the hybrid route same as Microsoft.
The device will get too complicated and not easy to operate or support.
Desktop class chips etc. But multi-window, multi-tasking doesn’t work well on smaller devices. I think / guess the Pro is already a thing in the last stages of prototyping or even small scale production testing. It’ll use iOS but maybe have a MacOS environment option and provide a keyboard to make best use of it. MS’s idea, but done properly not halfarsedly.
Anyone have a clue how much iPad Pro may weigh?
Looks like Innovation has just gone out of the window from Apple.. Hybrid products are going to be a short term success.. why venture into that. I like to have my devices separate to maximize my benefits. Hybrids will just clutter the benefits not help in any one entirely. The same way I will not be seen talking over the oversized brick called iphone 6/6+ just because it is made by apple. 4s will be my last iPhone or if they still have iphone 5S going next year I might upgrade to it. If apple doesnt make a 4″ iphone ever then I am going somewhere else.
12.2″ ipad pro.. really.. whatever
You’re right, all Apple does is copy its competitors. Definitely nothing new coming from Cupertino, certainly not Pay or Watch, and those iOS 8 “features” are just long-pined for Android clones . . . ugh . . . gaack . . . ooofff . . .
Sorry, my sarcasm meter just pegged the high end.
Stereo speakers in landscape mode is long overdue!! Also FCOL I wish they would move the intrusive headphone jack. It’s soooo in the way when playing games and wearing headphones. Idiotic design…