iPad Pro Release Date to be Later than Originally Expected

By Vincent Funaro, Christian Post Reporter Friday, January 31, 2014

The iPad Pro release could end up being later than originally expected.

CNET's IHS analyst Rhoda Alexander recently stated that there were a number of large panels that could be used for this new iPad floating around display manufacturers, but not in the amount needed for an imminent launch.

"Some manufacturers over the last six months have received sample quantities of a larger panel," she said. "They're playing around with a product that could possibly be an iPad-related product."

One of the sizes being reported at this time is a 12.85-inch model.

Alexander also states that IHS did not see significant shipments of any larger panels which means it might be a while before the market sees an iPad larger than 9.7-inches.

"We have to get a lot further down the line in terms of seeing really strong indicators from Apple that such a product exists, and we're just not at that point," she continued.

The iPad Pro is rumored to feature a 12-inch Retina display that will have a resolution of 2732x2048 at 265 ppi which will be a bit more impressive than the screens found on Samsung's new Galaxy Tab Pro and Note Pro tablets. Those models have a display with 2560x1600 resolution at 247 ppi.

It could also be a hybrid device that functions both as a laptop and a tablet making it similar to the Surface Pro and other products currently available on the market.

Digitimes reported that Apple is working on new 7.9-inch and 9.7-inch models to replace the current Retina iPad mini and iPad Air models. These are also expected to debut in Q3 2014 which would keep with Apple's current fall release schedule. The iPad is expected to sell between 80 and 90 million units over the course of this year.