Rumors About the 2017 iPad Pro Lineup Heat Up Ahead of March Event

According to Rhoda Alexander, director tablets and PCs, at IHS Markit, the 10.5-inch iPad Pro will take up the same amount of room as the 9.7-inch iPad Pro model because of a smaller bezel. This news is significant because it means that existing accessories, such as the Smart Keyboard, will work with the device.

Alexander also notes that the display resolution on the 10.5-inch iPad Pro will increase to 2,024-by-1,668 pixels from the current 2,048-by-1,536 pixels. In doing so, it will maintain the same PPI.

However, the device’s aspect ratio (the ratio of the width to the height of the screen) is likely to change, according to Raymond Soneira, a display expert and president of DisplayMate Technologies.

He notes:

If the new iPad shrinks the bezel and keeps the outside dimensions the same, then the display aspect ratio will increase from the current 1.33 to as high as 1.50. The screen area would then increase by up to 31 percent. However, with no bezel at all the screen diagonal would then be 11.2 inches for the same outside dimensions as the current iPad 9.7 (with rounded corners).

What about price?

Alexander expects Apple to offer a “value” 9.7-inch iPad Pro at around $299. If correct, this would be $100 less than the current entry-level iPad Air 2.

Pricing for the 10.5-inch iPad Pro could start at around $599, which might mean the second-generation 9.7-inch iPad Pro could launch at $499. Pricing for the next-generation 12.9-inch iPad Pro is also unknown.

Finally, Alexander remains unconvinced whether the iPad mini will also get an update. The tablet was last updated in September 2015 with the launch of the iPad mini 4. A recent rumor suggested the smallest of Apple’s tablets would be reborn as the “7.9-inch iPad Pro.”

Apple is likely to hold its annual iPad event in March. For more on the 2017 iPads, see our special roundup guide.