Apple iPad Pro rumored to begin shipping in the first week of November
In September, the Apple iPad Pro was announced, as a completely reinvented product, much more similar to a 2-in-1 tablet PC, than an iPad, and with an unusually big, 12.9 inches screen size.
During the announcement, Apple did not provide an exact release date for the iPad Pro, hinting at the month of November, for the official commercial launch of the new tablet.
A recent post on the Japanese blog
Mac Otakara, seems to convey that the official launch of the iPad Pro could take place in the first week of November. Mac Otakara’s clue comes from a “reliable Chinese source”, most likely close to Apple’s supply chain. To further corroborate the rumor, is the fact that Microsoft will be releasing the new Surface Pro 4 around the same time, as well as Surface Book.
Considering the timetable for this year’s upcoming new devices from both Apple and Microsoft, the first week of November seems like a reasonable guess, whether or not it’s supported by facts.
Along with the iPad Pro announcement, Apple has also introduced a new, and much talked about accessory, the Apple Pencil, which is the first official Stylus ever produced by Apple, in over 22 years, since the Apple MessagePad.
It’s likely that both products will be released at the same time, as the Apple Pencil is currently supported exclusively by the iPad Pro. The stylus is designed to take full advantage of the iPad Pro’s hardware, to simulate the most natural drawing and writing experience currently available on a tablet, with features that allows the Pencil to render anything from brushes, to pencils, and even chalk and smudge sticks.
Apple Smart Keyboard was also introduced, as a keyboard/cover accessory designed specifically for the iPad’s larger screen. The specialized accessory, is also likely to be released simultaneously to the iPad Pro and the Apple Pencil. The Smart Keyboard features the same butterfly mechanism found in the 2015 12 inch MacBook Retina, and allows the iPad Pro to provide a laptop-like experience, when using apps like Microsoft Office 2016, or Adobe CC, both designed to be used with the Apple Pencil, and to take full advantage of the new touchscreen hardware in the Apple iPad Pro.
The iPad Pro will start art $799, for the entry-level 32GB Wi-Fi only configuration, $949 for the 128GB Wi-Fi version, and $1079 for the top-level configuration featuring Wi-Fi, 128GB storage and Cellular mode. The Apple Pencil will retail at $99, and the Apple Smart Keyboard will be priced $169.