14 DAY TRIAL // Apple unveiled its 12.9-inch iPad Pro in September of last year, in an attempt to offer a more productive device to its customers, following in the footsteps of Microsoft, which used the Surface tablet to tackle both the laptop and tablet product categories.
And now it appears that Apple is looking to get as much as possible from this market with a smaller version of iPad Pro that could come not only as a more affordable variation of the original model but also as a more portable configuration that can serve almost the same purpose.
A report by 9to5Mac reveals that the tablet Apple plans to unveil next month is not the iPad Air 3, as it was originally believed, but the new 9.7-inch iPad Pro.
Same specs as the iPad Pro
The device will come with the same features as the bigger brother, so it’ll still be able to double as a laptop when attaching a keyboard. The source says that Apple is already working on a smaller version of its Smart Keyboard for this device.
In terms of hardware, the iPad Pro mini could come with the same A9X processor, but also with quad stereo speakers for uncompromised audio quality. As far as pricing is concerned, the device is expected to be offered for about the same money as the iPad Air (the cheapest model of this device comes with 16 GB of storage space and costs $399/€350).
Microsoft’s smallest tablet on the market right now is the Surface 3, which features a 10.8-inch full HD display and also serves as a more affordable and portable version of the Surface Pro 3 (and eventually the new 4 model).
Apple might be looking to adopt a similar strategy for its iPad lineup with more Pro versions, but keep in mind that this is still in the rumor stage for the moment, and confirmation will only arrive next month, when the company is supposed to take the wraps off the new device.