“The base model of iPad Pro will likely ship with 64GB of storage, which is substantially more space than the 16GB base models of the iPad Air and iPad mini lines. Apple will also sell a pricier 128GB model,” Mark Gurman reports for 9to5Mac.
“As with the iPad Air and Mini lines, the Pro will be available with built-in LTE capabilities. We’re told that the pricing of the highest-end iPad Pro versions with LTE chips will compare closely to Apple’s latest MacBooks,” Gurman reports. “As the iPad Pro will support a new Apple-designed Bluetooth keyboard, customers may have a tough choice in the $1,000+ price range when looking for either a large-sized iPad or small-sized MacBook.”
“We have been told that the 12.9-inch display is a ‘monster,'” Gurman reports. “To give it truly ‘Pro’ capabilities, the iPad Pro’s landscape split-screen mode will be bolstered to allow two full-sized portrait iPad apps to be displayed… Apple has decided not to bundle the iPad Pro with either the new Force Touch-integrated iPad stylus or keyboard. These accessories will be sold separately.”
Read more in the full article here.
MacDailyNews Take: We long expected to face a real conundrum when it comes time to replace our 11-inch MacBook Air road machines. MacBook or iPad Pro? We’ve used iPads and iPad Air models on the road in the past, but given the choice, we’ve always reached for our MacBooks first. Now, with iOS 9 multitasking on iPad Air 2, it’s no longer such a clear choice. We’re interested to see if that situation might change dramatically with iPad Pro. We suspect it will.
As we wrote back in June: “We have to test it, but this potentially changes the equation for many – and for Apple in terms of Mac and iPad sales. If these major workflow improvements get a certain type of user to the point where they no longer immediately grab their MacBooks over their iPad Air 2 or *gasp!* even need a MacBook… Whoa!”