With less than one month to go before Apple is expected to unveil a new iPhone and new iPad, more details on the latter device have leaked.
A new report from 9to5Mac says that Apple will show a new 9.7-inch iPad Pro at next month’s event. It was previously expected that a 9.7-inch iPad Air 3 would be announced. The difference between the two is that the 9.7-inch iPad Pro would feature many of the same specs of the 12.9-inch iPad Pro, but in a smaller package.
To compare, the image at the top of this post shows the 12.9-inch iPad Pro next to an iPad Air with a 9.7-inch screen.
It’s said that the 9.7-inch iPad Pro will offer the same A9X processor and RAM as the 12.9-inch iPad Pro. The smaller iPad Pro is also expected to include Apple Pencil support and a Smart Connector for attaching accessories like a Smart Keyboard. Apple is also reportedly prepping a smaller Smart Keyboard for this smaller iPad Pro.
The 9.7-inch iPad Pro is expected to be offered in the same colors as the 12.9-inch iPad Pro and the same storage capacities: 32GB Wi-Fi, 128GB Wi-Fi, 128GB Cellular + Wi-Fi. Pricing for the 9.7-inch iPad Pro will reportedly be “closer in line” with the iPad Air models than the iPad Pro. Apple is currently selling a 64GB Wi-Fi iPad Air 2 for $599, a 128GB Wi-Fi model for $699, and a 128GB Cellular + Wi-Fi model for $829.
While the iPad Pro’s Apple Pencil and Smart Keyboard support have received a lot of praise for helping folks get work done on the device, the iPad Pro’s 12.9-inch display might be a tad too large for some people. A 9.7-inch iPad Pro would give those people a tablet with pro features in a smaller footprint.
Apple is expected to hold an event on March 15 at which it’ll show this 9.7-inch iPad Pro as well as a 4-inch iPhone 5se and some new Apple Watch bands.
