According to sources cited by 9to5Mac, the rumored 9.7 inch iPad Pro, is expected to be announced next Monday, March 21st, with pricing starting at $599, with an entry-level configuration of 32GB of storage, and WiFi. A higher-priced model is expected to include LTE connectivity.
The new tablet will most likely see a similar tiered pricing pattern as its predecessor, depending on storage size, if history is of any indication, although it’s unclear whether there will be a 64GB version available.
The smaller iPad Pro will not be a replacement for the iPad Air 2
There seems to be every indication that the iPad Air 2 may soon be discontinued, as 9to5Mac reports shrinking supplies for resellers. With that said, the logic of releasing a tablet as powerful and versatile as the iPad Pro, in a form factor as popular as the iPad Air 2, is sound, especially with features that extend well beyond the capabilities of the iPad Air 2, such as more storage, a faster A9X processor, and more memory, as well as a better 12MP camera and 4K video recording. Support for the Apple Pencil is also a strong possibility, as well as the same quad-speaker system featured on the original iPad Pro.
Tim Cook has reiterated time and time again that at no point MacBooks will feature touchscreens, or stylus support, for a good reason: the iPad. By introducing this new, more compact version of the iPad Pro, Apple may have found a way to finally redefine the iPad, as a tablet capable of providing laptop-like performance, high-quality multimedia capabilities, and support for Apple’s own stylus.
By this token, Apple will most likely have the perfect tablet line up for 2016, including the 7.9 inch iPad Mini 4, the 9.7 inch iPad Pro, and the 12.9 inch iPad Pro.